


A Crack In The Hourglass

by XProSkeith



Series: The McCall Pack Chronicles [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Allison Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence, Canon Divergent, Complete, Draeden, Druid Stiles Stilinski, Druid!Stiles, Druid!Stiles Stilinski, Emissary Stiles Stilinski, Emissary!Stiles, Emissary!Stiles Stilinski, Gen, Long, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Multiple chapters, Original Character(s), Post Season 4, Post-Season/Series 04, Sciles, Skittles, Time Travel, completed fic, completed work, finished fic, long fic, long fiction, multi-chaptered
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-07
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-02-28 13:18:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 73,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2734037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XProSkeith/pseuds/XProSkeith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summer is finally here. The nogitsune incident, the War Of The Nemeton, and the Benefactor situation have all been resolved and the pack is looking forward to some relaxation before senior year starts for most of them. Things have been pretty quiet until, suddenly, time itself begins to crack and collapse on itself. Now the pack must travel back through time and through alternate universes to find out what's causing this to happen. Can they find the cause and stop it before it's too late and everyone and everything is wiped from existence?</p>
<p>Unrelated to the summary, if you want to talk to me, my tumblr can be found <a href="http://xproskeith.tumblr.com">here</a>. Thanks!</p>
<p>Below is cover art for the fic created by the wonderful <a href="http://trueangelscottmccall.tumblr.com/">trueangelscottmccall</a>.</p>
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	1. The Sands Spill

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so I know the first chapter is quite long, but it's really good and important (more so than you'll probably realize until the end)! I promise the rest of the chapter won't be as lengthy (for the most part). So, I hope you enjoy it! I have quite a wild ride planned for you! As always, thank you for reading. Let's begin, shall we?

Beacon Hills had fallen. Scott didn’t know how things had gotten this bad so suddenly, but, nevertheless, they had.

From what Scott could tell, it looked like the world was ending. The sky was black and red lightning cracked across the sky, obliterating the occasional wall or tree it came into contact with. Debris and other unsecured things rose into the sky, as if some something was sucking them in. Scott also noticed that there were places in the sky that seemed to move and warp, like a distortion. In same places, the sky itself seemed to be ripped open in large jagged lines. The debris was headed towards these warps and cracks and upon contact with a crack or warp, they vanished. As he stared at the sky, Scott found himself reflecting on the events that lead up to this catastrophe, trying to see if there was something he could have done to stop it.

* * *

 Several months had passed since the pack had stopped Rhys from destroying Beacon Hills with the power of the Nemeton. Since then, they’d added two new members to the pack, Malia and Liam, and they’d all managed to survive the Benefactor incident. It was a harrowing experience, but the pack had made it through the school year and into summer. Things actually seemed to be peaceful now and the pack was hoping for a relaxing summer before most of them began their senior year, their last year at Beacon Hills High.

Everyone was both excited and terrified at the same time. It was an awesome feeling to be almost done with high school, but most of them were also unsure of where to go from there. Where would they go to school? How would the pack stay together? What were they going to study? How were they going to afford it? So many questions bounced around in their minds.

Allison and Lydia were the most confident of the group. They had solid grades and great SAT scores. Kira had also been working with them since they’d gotten to be great friends in her short time in Beacon Hills. Her grades and SAT scores weren’t quite like Lydia’s but they were still superb. Plus with Lydia editing their applications and essays, there’s no way they wouldn’t get in where they wanted to. Lydia had already decided on mathematics as her major. She was going to win that Field’s Medal if it was the last thing she did. Allison hadn’t quite made up her mind, but something with history sounded appealing. Kira had decided on sports medicine. She’d really taken to lacrosse and she’d already found she had a knack for dealing with her teammates’ injuries, which seemed to happen a lot for some reason. The three of them would, of course, be roommates. Lydia had found out that three person housing was now a thing at most colleges, so it’d be perfect for them.

Scott and Stiles were a bit more unsure. They knew they’d both go to the same school no matter what and be roommates, but they each had some bad marks on their transcript, although Scott had become a straight A student lately. What worried them more was trying to figure out what they wanted to do. Scott was considering a pre-vet degree. Working in the clinic with Deaton had really inspired him, plus he figured it’d be perfect being a werewolf and all. Stiles was considering something in criminal justice. If he could learn the law in and out, he could help the pack even more. Or he could always follow in his dad’s footsteps.

Something else had been happening to Scott and Stiles though, beyond the normal stress of high school, the future, and battling the supernatural. Their connection with each other had gotten stronger since they first activated the soul link. They were always aware of each others presence and current state, both emotional and physical. They had always been good at reading the other before, but now they just knew and understood exactly how the other felt. Lately, they’d even found that they could communicate with each other telepathically. The sudden discovery of that power might have weirded some people out, but it just felt natural to Scott and Stiles.

It was the middle of June and Scott and Stiles were sprawled out in Stiles’ room, going through colleges and majors again. The floor and every surface was littered with papers and pamphlets on different colleges and their degree programs. The board that Stiles had once used to connect the dots about the Benefactor and the nogitsune was now populated by lists of pros and cons of each college, tuition cost breakdowns, degree program plans, and more informational packets. It was doubtful that anyone but these two could decipher this chaos.

Suddenly, Stiles was overwhelmed by a strange feeling of unease and dizziness. It felt like he was off balance and it something just felt wrong, like he was in danger. He didn’t know what it came from, but it passed after a few moments. Scott had already turned to him immediately having sensed that something was wrong with Stiles.

“Stiles, what’s wrong?” asked Scott.

“I… I don’t know,” answered Stiles, shaking his head in an effort to clear his head again. “I just got really dizzy and had this strong feeling that something bad was about to happen.”

“Okay, that’s weird.”

“I’m fine, dude,” insisted Stiles, waving his hand dismissively. “I’m sure it’s just the stress from trying to figure out what the hell we’re going to do when we graduate.”

Scott looked unconvinced. Stiles should know better than to think that he could lie to his best friend. He never really could before, but now it was, quite literally, impossible.

“Stiles,” said Scott, his voice calm, but firm. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not lying, Scott,” sighed Stiles. “Besides the dizziness, I just felt like something was wrong. I know you felt it, too, through our link.”

“Yeah, a bit.”

“I think we should ask Deaton for some advice.”

“Stiles, at this point, I think you know a lot more than Deaton does.”

“It’s been months, yeah, but I still haven’t actually mastered everything yet. It’s not that easy to just be able to actively remember a lifetime of magical knowledge, y’know.”

“Sorry.”

“Nah, it’s fine, man. I just think a little consult from Deaton might be helpful.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But I get the feeling this doesn’t mean anything good.”

“Yeah,” agreed Stiles absently as he pulled out his phone. “I’m going to give Deaton a call.”

Scott nodded and Stiles dialed Deaton’s number. He picked up before the first ring had finished.

“Hello,” said Deaton.

“Hey, Dr. D, it’s Stiles,” answered Stiles, doing his best to conceal his anxiety.

“I know. And I think I know why you called.”

“You do?”

“You feel like something’s off. Like the balance somewhere has been upset.”

“I guess?”

“You’re still inexperienced, so to you it might have felt like you were dizzy or that something bad was coming.”

“Then, yeah, that’s exactly what happened. How did you know?”

“Because I’ve noticed some things, too. Something’s happening. I don’t know what, but there is something going on.”

“So what should we do?”

“I think you should try and talk to the world tree again.”

“Well, I know we’re linked and all, but direct communication with the world tree is something we haven’t really done since Scott and I were almost killed by Rhys. I don’t even know how I’d go about doing that.”

“Use the symbol of your link like you would a rune.”

“The symbol of my link? You mean Scott’s tattoo?”

“It’s your tattoo now, too, Stiles. But yes, that’s what I mean. Draw the symbol and then have you and Scott sit inside it.”

“You sure that’ll work? Seems too easy.”

“Not everything has to be complicated, Stiles.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Just try it, Stiles.”

“Alright, alright. We’ll give it a shot.”

“You’ll be fine. Let me know what you find out.”

“Will do. Thanks, Dr. D.”

Stiles ended the call. Scott had heard everything of course. Stiles went to his desk and rummaged through a drawer. He found withdrew a piece of chalk he used for drawing magic circles, runes, and glyphs. Without a word, he and Scott began to shove all the paper that were strewn about the floor. Once they cleared enough space, Stiles quickly drew the first large circle followed by the smaller inner circle, forming the same symbol that was Scott’s tattoo. The two of them sat down cross-legged across from each other at the center of the inner circle.

“Um,” said Scott. “Now what?”

“I don’t know,” replied Stiles. “We focus? I’m still learning, dude.”

“Let’s just try calling out to the world tree.”

Stiles nodded and they closed their eyes. They focused on the world tree, calling to it. But nothing happened.

“Well that didn’t work,” sighed Stiles.

“Maybe we’re trying too hard,” said Scott. “What if we just kind of let it happen? Kind of like with our soul link. We don’t really think about it. It just kind of happens. It’s like that for your powers in a fight, too, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, actually, you’re right. Okay. Let’s try again.”

This time the two of them relaxed, closing their eyes again. They reached out, but this time they didn’t try so hard. They just reached out, feeling each other’s presence and the bond between them. That’s when they found it. The way back to the world tree.

Scott and Stiles’ eyes snapped open. Stiles’ eyes were glowing a brilliant forest green while Scott’s were a blazing crimson. But they weren’t in Stiles’ room anymore. At least that’s what it looked like to them. They were back in that foggy area where they had first talked to the world tree directly.

Stiles waved his hand and the fog parted revealing an impossibly large tree. The roots ran off indefinitely in all directions. There was no end to it. Vines ran along the roots as well as the trunk of the tree itself, winding around the branches as well. The tree emanated immense magical power and seemed to pulse. It was alive.

“So this is the world tree,” said Scott in awe.

“Indeed I am, little ones,” resounded an ancient voice, a voice they recognized. “It has been a while since you came here.”

“Would I be wrong if I say you already know why we’re here?” asked Stiles.

“No,” answered the world tree. “I know why you’re here.”

“So, can you help us? Can you tell us what Stiles felt?” asked Scott.

“Something terrible is happening and I’m not sure if you can stop it,” replied the world tree.

“Scott and I have faced impossible odds before,” retorted Stiles, a hint of indignation in his voice. “We’ll do whatever we have to to protect those we love.”

“I know, but not even the might of a world druid and a true alpha can stand against this,” said the world tree.

“We’ll take our chances,” said Stiles. “Can you let us know what we’re up against?”

“You don’t understand, little one,” said the world tree, seeming as if it was sighing. “The end of time is coming.”

“What the hell does that mean?” asked Stiles.

“Something or someone is causing the timelines to collapse upon themselves. Rather, something is corrupting and distorting them. In turn, this is causing them to unravel and collide with other timelines,” answered the world tree.

“What?” said Scott in confusion.

“I don’t know the cause or source of the problem,” continued the world tree. “It’s early, so perhaps you can use magic and runes to stabilize the rifts. It is your only chance.”

“So all we need to do it stop the spread of the rifts and stabilize them, right?” said Stiles.

“Simply, yes,” replied the world tree. “But don’t think it’ll be so easy.”

“We don’t have another choice,” said Scott. “We’re not just going to give up.”

The world tree didn’t have a face, but Scott and Stiles swore they felt as if the world tree was smiling at them.

“You little ones are certainly brave and you never give up,” said the world tree. “Very well. You may succeed. I wish you the best of luck. As always, my power is yours, but don’t forget the power you have in each other.”

“Like we ever would,” smirked Stiles, glancing at Scott who smiled back at him.

“Then go. You have much to do,” said the world tree.

Scott and Stiles nodded as the fog flooded the area once more, whiting out their vision. They blinked and when they opened their eyes, they were sitting on the floor of Stiles’ room again. Scott and Stiles quickly got to their feet and took off for Deaton’s clinic while Scott texted everyone to meet up there.

Jayce was waiting for Scott and Stiles outside the clinic, leaning back against the wall next to the door.

“Everyone else is already inside,” said Jayce. “I don’t know why you called us here, Scott, but I know something’s wrong. The world is off balance again.”

Scott and Stiles were surprised by this. Jayce wasn’t a druid. He shouldn’t have been able to sense that something was wrong.

“How do you know?” questioned Stiles.

“I don’t know,” shrugged Jayce. “It’s just a feeling. Like things aren’t right. I guess waterbenders are more attuned to things like that. Our element is all about balance and the ebb and flow of things.”

“Is that something normal waterbenders experience or are you just trying to rationalize it?” asked Stiles skeptically.

Jayce just smiled and said, “I guess it’s more of a rationalization.”

“We should really get inside so we can explain things to everyone,” said Scott. “We’re probably going to need Deaton’s help figuring out what runes to use.”

“Yeah,” agreed Stiles. “Let’s go.”

The three of them quickly entered Deaton’s clinic and joined the rest of the pack. Everyone looked at them as they entered the room. Only Lydia seemed a little on edge. Deaton was an enigma as always, betraying nothing of what he knew to the rest of the pack. He felt it was Scott’s duty to tell them everything.

“So, we called everyone here today because there’s something wrong,” said Scott.

“We gathered that much,” quipped Lydia.

“So what’s going on then?” asked Allison, who gave a quick but sharp glance at Lydia.

“That’s a bit complicated,” started Scott.

“Just spit it out, Scott,” said Malia bluntly.

Stiles sighed. It was progress, but they still really had to work on that.

“I sensed something was off,” started Stiles. “I didn’t know what, but it just felt bad.”

“We didn’t know what was going on, so we reached out to the world tree,” continued Scott, picking up where Stiles had left off as seamlessly as if Stiles had continued himself. “It said the end of time is coming.”

“And that there’s some kind of distortion or tear in the fabric of time,” said Stiles.

“What does that even mean?” asked Malia, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

“It means exactly what it sounds like,” responded Stiles patiently. “Someone or something is ripping holes in time itself.”

“How is that possible?” asked Kira.

“I don’t think that’s what’s most important,” said Lydia, her voice ominous. “If there are tears in time, then that means it’s collapsing. Just like any other structure. You put enough holes and tears in it and it all comes crashing down.”

“Yeah,” said Scott. “That’s exactly what’s happening.”

“Is this sort of thing normal for you guys?” asked Liam nervously. “I still haven’t figured out what that means to this group.”

“I don’t think time collapsing on itself is something we normally deal with, Liam,” retorted Stiles.

Scott shot stiles a hard look before he said, “Yeah, this is new to us. But the world tree did tell us how to stop it. We’ll have to be fast though.”

“We need to apply wards, runes, and glyphs to the tears,” Stiles informed them. “They should have already started appearing, so be on the lookout for anything weird.”

“What exactly would they look like?” asked Kira.

“Probably like a distortion. The area around it might seem warped,” suggested Derek. “It might also have a pull towards it, drawing things into itself.”

“And what would happen if we touched one of those tears?” asked Kira.

“We don’t know,” answered Scott.

“But it could send you off to another point in time or even remove you from time altogether,” added Stiles.

“That’s… good to know,” said Kira, trying her best to hide how unsettling that was to her.

“What Stiles is _trying_ to say,” Scott interjected quickly. “Is that we don’t know what would happen,  but they’re probably dangerous. We should be careful not to get too close to them.”

“So what do we do when we find them?” asked Isaac. “The rest of us can’t exactly use runes and wards.”

“Well, in theory, you could,” said Stiles. “But it would take a lot of time and practice. I’ll make some simple location wards. All you’ll have to do is drop them in the ground and I’ll be able to find them.”

“From there, Stiles will apply the sealing wards to stop and close the rifts,” continued Scott. “If things get hairy, I can help Stiles apply the wards.”

“How?” asked Malia.

“If we use the soul link, I’ll have the powers of a druid, too,” answered Scott. “I could use the wards that way.”

“Makes sense,” said Malia, nodding.

“Are we sure this’ll work?” asked Liam who still looked uncertain. He’d gotten used to a lot, but the idea of time collapsing around him and the end of the universe kind of overwhelmed him.

“If they can close all the rifts, then time should be fixed. Just like if you fixed part of a broken building,” said Lydia.

“Then we should get started,” said Derek. “How soon can you have those wards ready, Stiles?”

“If Deaton doesn’t mind me using his supplies,” said Stiles as he flashed a hopeful smile at Deaton. “Probably a half hour. Hour tops.”

“Then you better get started,” said Deaton who had already begun to retrieve the various supplies that Stiles needed.

Stiles smiled gleefully and started grabbing the supplies. He got to work while the rest of the pack went back to the main lobby of the clinic to give Stiles a place to work. Scott and Lydia lingered. Scott staying Stiles understood, but he wasn’t sure why Lydia had stayed.

“Is something wrong, Lydia?” asked Scott, his concern apparent.

“There’s something I wanted to tell you, but not in front of everyone else,” replied Lydia.

“Is that why you’ve been so on edge this whole time?” asked Stiles. “What is it?”

“I’ve been hearing things a lot more often,” said Lydia quietly. “Sounds, voices. Most of it’s incomprehensible. But I know a lot of them are voices. And the ones I can make out… Stiles, it’s bad. They’re talking about the end of everything. They tell me horrible things. We have to stop this. But I just don’t know if we can.”

Stiles reached out and placed his hand on Lydia’s shoulder. She was actually trembling slightly, but she stopped at his touch. Stiles looked into her eyes with a serious expression on his face.

“Lydia, I promise that we’ll stop this,” said Stiles. “We’ll get through this like we always have. Me and Scott make one hell of a team and we’ve got the rest of the pack behind us, too.”

“So don’t worry, Lydia,” added Scott, his trademark smile that was as bright as the sun on his face. “We’ll be okay.”

Lydia couldn’t help but feel a little better. The voices were still plaguing her even at that moment, but she trusted these two. She trusted them absolutely. Stiles’ stalwart resolve to protect his friends and Scott’s radiating smile filled her with confidence. And, for a moment at least, the voices were gone. A moment’s peace.

“Yeah,” said Lydia softly. “I’m sure we will.”

She got up to join the others in the main lobby as Stiles returned to his work.

True to his word, Stiles finished the wards a half hour later. He called everyone back into the back room where he had been working and gave each person a small bag of wards.

“Ok, all you have to do is drop the wards into the ground and they should activate,” explained Stiles. “When they activate, the runes on the wards will start to glow. Simple as that.”

“Drop them near the tears, but don’t get too close,” cautioned Scott. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Any questions?” asked Stiles, pausing for a moment to see if anyone did, but no one said anything. “Then let’s get going.”

The others left the clinic in search of the runes. Scott and Stiles stayed to consult with Deaton and his books.

“We need to figure out what runes and glyphs to use to seal the tears,” said Stiles.

“I think I know where to start,” said Deaton as he laid out some books on the table. “These books are about time magic.”

“Excellent,” said Stiles, already starting to pour through the first book.

After hours of pouring through books, they finally found what they needed. Or at least they thought it’s what they needed since there wasn’t a section clearly labeled “In case of the fabric of time being ripped apart, use these runes”. Stiles, Scott, and Deaton compared their notes and crossed out things that didn’t appear useful. By the end of it, they’d assembled several sets of runes and glyphs. Looking at them, Stiles began to recall what he knew about them already. Sometimes being connected to the world tree had some awesome perks. Yeah, these would work well.

It was getting late and Stiles hadn’t felt any of his wards activate yet. Maybe there weren’t any tears yet. Maybe they were still early. That hope was dashed seconds later when Stiles felt three of his wards activate. One from Malia, one from Derek, and one from Lydia. It was time to see if what they learned would help them. Stiles looked over at Scott who nodded at him. Of course he knew. He’d felt it, too. Moments later, they were heading towards Lydia’s ward. It was the closest.

Lydia wasn’t too far from the clinic and she was waiting for them by the ward when they arrived. Stiles gave her a curious look.

“You didn’t have to stay, Lydia,” said Stiles.

“And miss out on getting to see how this works?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Not a chance.”

Stiles just shrugged and took a look at the tear. It wasn’t very big, but it was clearly there. It looked like there was a crack in the sky. A bright light emanated from the crack, making it impossible to tell if there was something beyond it.

Stiles approached the tear cautiously. He didn’t know what would happen if he got too close or touched it. When he was close enough, he reached into a pouch on his belt and removed a small amount of powder from it. He held his hand in the air in front of him. The powder seemed to hold fast to his hand and a green glyph formed in front of his hand. This would be the base for his seal.

Stiles drew several more runes around the glyph, encircling it. When he was done, he tapped the center of the glyph. Immediately, it turned red and the runes surrounding it began to spin around it. Lydia had been quiet this whole time, but she suddenly clasped her hands to her ears as if she was hearing some incredibly loud noise that they couldn’t.

“Are you okay?” asked Scott with great concern as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Lydia just shook her head and said nothing.

The crack began to shake and the light that came from it began to flash multiple colors. A few moments later, the crack snapped shut and was gone without a trace. Stiles’ glyph quickly disintegrated into small particles of light before vanishing completely. Lydia removed her hands from her ears and was visibly relieved.

“What happened, Lydia?” asked Scott again, still worried about his friend.

“The voices were more intense, more chaotic, near the tear,” Lydia said, quickly regaining her composure as she always did. “But when Stiles started to close it, they all started screaming. It just became an unbearable white noise.”

“You might have been hearing voices from other timelines,” suggested Stiles. “When I started to close it, it probably caused them to freak out a bit.”

“I think you’re right,” agreed Lydia. “It would explain why I’ve been hearing things so much more lately. If they’re coming through the tears, then I’m probably hearing whatever’s been pouring out of them.”

“That can’t be good,” said Scott. “Anything coming over from another timeline or universe can’t be good for us.”

“Well, if any of the theory about alternate universes, multiple realities, and alternate timelines is true, then you’re definitely right,” mused Lydia. “But if we stop it, things should go back to normal.”

“We’ve got our work cut out for us then,” sighed Stiles. “I just felt Isaac, Liam, Kira, and Allison activate their first wards and Malia activated another. We still haven’t even gotten to Derek’s ward or Malia’s first one.”

“We’d better get going then,” said Scott.

“Lydia, you should go get some rest, okay?” said Stiles. “Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Lydia scoffed and was about to say something, but Scott interrupted, “He’s right, Lydia. We don’t want anyone to do it or get hurt. You’re an important part of this pack, too. You need to rest.”

Lydia frowned but nodded begrudgingly. As she spun on her heels and began walking to her car she shouted, “You better keep me updated or so help me I will skin you two!”

Scott and Stiles looked at each other with a half second of worry before breaking into huge grins. That was their Lydia. Once she was out of sight, they set off. They had a lot of work to do if they were going to close all these tears before the end of the night.

It was almost midnight when Scott and Stiles got back to Scott’s house. Melissa was waiting for them, worried and with food. She’d given them a stern lecture about staying out so late without telling her anything and, no, she didn’t care that they were trying to save the world, they could still call her and let her know what was going on. After that, she patted them both on their backs and let them eat in peace. They ate quickly, their tiredness starting to hit them hard, and went up to Scott’s room. The two of them collapsed onto Scott’s bed haphazardly and partially sprawled on top of each other. They were asleep before their heads ever hit the pillows.

The next morning, Scott and Stiles woke up, still half on top of each other, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. They used to end up like that all the time when they were little kids and now that they were soul linked, it just felt natural. It was late morning, so they were a little surprised Melissa hadn’t woken them up yet. She probably figured they needed some rest. She wasn’t wrong.

They felt refreshed, but Stiles could sense several active locator wards. He knew they’d missed some last night, but it looked like Derek and Isaac had stayed out late to flag more. Scott just shrugged when Stiles looked at him and they started to get ready to go.

After a quick breakfast, they headed out to finish sealing the tears. By evening, Stiles had managed to seal all of the tears that had been flagged with his wards. Since there were no more wards, Scott decided to get everyone together at the pack’s favorite pizza place. They deserved some relaxation.

Once everyone was there, they ordered pizza and drinks for everyone. Liam looked the most excited, but also a bit apprehensive. Scott realized this was probably the first time he’d done something with the pack that wasn’t dangerous or life threatening. That realization made Scott sad. He never wanted anything like that for Liam. Being a werewolf was hard enough without having to deal with the constant threat to their lives.

But Mason was there next to Liam. He seemed to have a pretty calming effect on Liam, like Stiles did on Scott. That made Scott feel a little better. Fortunately, Mason had taken the truth about Scott, Liam, and everything else really well. Hard not to believe when you have two werewolves shift in front of you. Either way, Scott was happy to have him around, especially if he helped Liam.

“So did you seal all the tears?” asked Allison.

“Yeah, we got all the ones you guys marked,” answered Stiles.

“Is it over then?” asked Liam, a hopeful and expectant look on his face.

“Maybe,” replied Scott optimistically.

“But it’s too soon to tell,” continued Stiles. “We need to keep an eye out and see if any more appear. I’ll put up some wards later around the town to try and fortify things. Just in case.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” chimed in Kira.

“Preventative measures are usually a good thing,” concurred Jayce. “But it looks like our pizza’s here, so let’s just relax and have a good time for once. I think we’ve earned it.”

“Definitely,” agreed Scott.

The waiters set the pizzas the pack had ordered on the table and everyone began to grab some slices. Happy conversations quickly filled the air. Scott turned to look at Derek who was smiling, but quiet.

“Derek, where’s Braeden?” asked Scott. “I haven’t seen her around lately.”

“She took a job recently,” responded Derek. “She said she should be back tonight, though.”

“And I always keep my promises,” said Braeden as she walked up behind Derek and gave him a surprise kiss from behind.

Scott couldn’t help but smile at Derek’s reaction, a mixture of happiness, arousal, and embarrassment. He wasn’t used to seeing Derek like this, but it was definitely something Scott hoped he’d see more often. Braeden used Derek’s distraction to steal the slice of pizza from his plate.

“Hey! That’s no fair,” protested Derek.

“Please, it’s not like you weren’t happy,” smirked Braeden, sliding into the chair next to Derek and leaning her head on his shoulder. “I missed you, y’know.”

Derek smiled warmly, placing his arm over her shoulders, and said, “I missed you, too.”

Scott turned to look at Stiles who was talking to Lydia. As soon as he did, Stiles turned to face him. Scott knew Stiles wanted to say something, but not where everyone could hear them. Scott nodded and the two of them turned to face their plates again and they resumed eating their pizza.

_You don’t think it’s over, do you?_ asked Scott telepathically.

_Oh, I’d like it to be, but I’m pretty sure this was too easy_ , responded Stiles.

_Maybe the wards you put up will be enough._

_One can hope. Either way, I can’t help but feel this isn’t over._

_You’re probably right. We’ll be ready though._

_Yeah. We’ve grown strong._

_For now let’s just relax and have a good time with our friends, alright?_

_Sure thing, Scotty._

Stiles smirked as he thought that last line. Scott noticed, of course, but he also knew it wasn’t because he was being sarcastic. He knew Stiles wanted to be able to relax and enjoy himself as much as everyone else. So they did. The pack had a great night together and no one wanted to leave, but the restaurant was literally kicking them out.

After saying their goodbyes to the rest of the pack, Scott and Stiles went to place the wards to try and preserve the state of things. Stiles figured that placing one at each of the four cardinal points of Beacon Hills would be ideal. He also thought that putting one right next to the nemeton, the supernatural center of Beacon Hills, would be a good idea, too. It took a good bit of driving, but they managed to get all of the wards in place before it got too late. Stiles took his time in crafting each one, making sure it was perfect. Scott made sure to call his mom this time to let her know that they’d be late.

Scott and Stiles returned to Scott’s house to find that Melissa had already gone to bed. They found a note on the kitchen tabled.

_Scott & Stiles,_

_I have a morning shift tomorrow, so I went to bed. There’s some leftover Mexican food that Isaac cooked in the fridge. Be sure to thank him tomorrow and clean-up behind yourselves._

_Love,_

_Mom_

Scott and Stiles smiled warmly at her note before quietly pulling out the leftovers that Melissa and Isaac had left for them. They ate and cleaned up as Melissa had asked and then went to bed, this time without collapsing on top of each other. They climbed under the sheets and were asleep in minutes.

The next several days were uneventful. Nothing at all seemed to happen. Lydia even said that she’d stopped hearing the voices and noises. No one had seen anymore tears appear and Stiles hadn’t felt that terrible feeling like he had just a few days ago.

With things calm again, Scott, Stiles, and Derek got together at his loft. Derek had told Scott how the Hale pack used to be looked to for advice and guidance and that there used to be a strong alliance between the packs. Since the fire, most of that had fallen by the wayside. Scott agreed it would be good for everyone if they could reestablish those connections again, so the three of them were working together to figure out how to go about doing that. They already had a good connection with Satomi’s pack after the Benefactor situation, so that was a start even though her pack was rebuilding after its incredible loss. Things were going pretty well. And, of course, that was when everything fell apart.

Stiles felt it. And he knew Scott could feel it, too. The snapping, no… The obliteration of all five of his wards. It was like a sharp pain at five spots on his back. Stiles felt them go and then immediately was overcome by a feeling of dizziness and dread, at least ten times worse than he had felt before. He didn’t need to look at Scott to know he felt it, too. Derek was on his feet, knowing that something was wrong. Stile and Scott were starting to recover when they heard Lydia’s scream. The voices must be back and they must be louder than ever.

“Outside,” said Stiles.

“What?” asked Derek, clearly confused.

“We have to get outside. Now.”

The three of them ran down the stairs of Derek’s building and out into the parking lot. Just as they made it outside, a deafening crack resounded throughout the town. They looked up and saw the sky crack open in front of them. It was just like the first crack that Scott and Stiles had seen except this one was massive and ran across a good portion of the sky. They heard more cracking noises, almost like a whip, as more cracks began to appear in the sky.

Next came the warped tears. They were another type of tear that Scott and Stiles had encountered. They looked like a spiral, warping the area around them. They also pulled things into them. Now massive versions of them were appearing in the sky.

“We have to get everyone together,” said Derek.

“Yeah,” said Scott, already grabbing his phone. “I’m on it.”

It didn’t take long to gather everyone at the loft. Chris, the sheriff, Melissa, and Deaton all insisted on coming as well and Scott didn’t bother arguing with them. Lydia arrived escorted by Allison. She looked rather distraught.

“I thought we stopped this!” exclaimed Malia, obviously anxious and nervous.

“I said I wasn’t sure it would work,” said Stiles. “We need to figure out what to do.”

“Stiles,” rasped Lydia. “The voices. They’re louder than ever now.”

“I know, Lydia,” replied Stiles. “I figured they would get worse when the cracks opened.”

“It’s not just that,” said Lydia, slowly regaining her voice and composure. “They’re also clearer than ever.”

“What’re they saying, Lydia?” asked Scott.

“That time is running out,” Lydia replied simply. “They’re saying the universe, no, not just the universe, all of time and space is going to collapse in on itself. It’ll be as if it never existed.”

“A doomed timeline?” offered Jayce.

“No,” said Lydia. “It wouldn’t just be this timeline. It would be all of them.”

“So what do we do?” asked Kira. “How do we stop it?”

“I don’t know,” answered Stiles, visibly shrinking.

“Perhaps it’s time for you two to visit the world tree again,” suggested Deaton. “It may have one last idea.”

“It’s worth a try,” said Scott, still trying to be optimistic.

As if to quell his optimism, the sky suddenly blacked out. That shouldn’t be possible since it was the middle of the day, yet that’s exactly what had happened. The darkness made the warps and cracks in the sky more apparent.

Stiles still felt unsure of himself, but he could feel Scott’s resolve. If his best friend, his alpha, wasn’t ready to give up, how could he? No. They couldn’t stop here. They’d find a way out of this just like they always had. Stiles felt his confidence rising and his strength returning. He clapped his hand on Scott’s shoulder and grinned.

“I’ll make the preparations,” said Stiles before running back into Derek’s loft.

* * *

 Stiles tapped Scott on his shoulder, snapping him back to reality. Scott hadn't realized how lost in thought he'd been while staring at the sky. The sky had gotten a lot worse while Stiles had been getting things ready. It seemed like more and more stuff was being pulled into the sky, even stuff that seemed to be firmly attached to the ground. And Scott swore it look like things were being pulled up faster now. But he didn’t have time to think about it. They had to try and contact the world tree one more time. He followed Stiles back into Derek’s loft with the rest of the pack and parents in tow.

When they arrived, the familiar symbol of their bond had been traced on the floor; however, it now featured runes scattered throughout its circles.

“I figured some runes might help us get there faster,” explained Stiles.

“Yeah, good thinking,” said Scott. “Let’s do this.”

Stiles nodded and the two of them sat in the center of the inner circle. They closed their eyes and reached out to the world tree, following their connection to each other back to it. They felt the runes empowering them, making it easier for them. When they opened their eyes again, they were back in front of the world tree.

Something was wrong though. There were cracks scattered throughout the area. Nowhere was safe from these time rips. The fog that normally filled the area was being siphoned out by the cracks.

“It would seem that your power was not enough,” boomed the voice of the world tree, though it conveyed no emotion. “As I expected, everything shall come to an end.”

“Like hell it is,” retorted Stiles. “We’re not about to give up that easily. That’s why we came here.”

“There must be another way,” added Scott. “There’s got to be something.”

The world tree was quiet for a moment, as if thinking deeply. The area pulsed with its ancient power.

“There may be a way,” the world tree said finally. “It will be dangerous.”

“The only surprise would be if it wasn’t dangerous,” quipped Stiles.

“Tell us what it is,” said Scott.

“Something or someone is causing this. I do not know where or when it is,” began the world tree. “If you could travel back through time and through the beta timelines, you might be able to find the source.”

“What’s a beta timeline?” asked Scott.

“Think of it as an alternate timeline,” explained the world tree. “It is one of many possible paths that could have unfolded; however, for whatever reason, it was not selected to be the alpha timeline, which just so happens to be this timeline. Each of them exists independently of the other timelines in their own universe, but they each serve an important role. They help to maintain the alpha timeline by creating a protective buffer around it. If the beta timelines become corrupted or fall, then the alpha timeline will be weak and vulnerable. When that happens, it will begin to collapse upon itself, pulling the rest of time and space along with it. Once it does, all of time and space will cease to exist. You must stop that from happening.”

“What would be different in these timelines?” asked Stiles.

“Anything is possible,” replied the world tree. “Do not be surprised by anything you may see.”

“What exactly are we supposed to do in these timelines?” asked Scott.

“Seek out the cause of the tears,” answered the world tree. “There will be tears in each of these alternate timelines. Seal them and you will buy yourselves more time while helping to fix the problem. Also, in each timeline, there will almost certainly be something you will have to do. The tears in these timelines have probably caused something to go awry. Be sure to find a way to fix that, too, if such a problem exists.”

“This sounds great, but how exactly are we supposed to travel back in time and between alternate timelines?” asked Stiles. “I could barely find runes and glyphs to seal small rips. Definitely nothing about traveling.”

“I will use what power I have left to open the doorways between the timelines. I don’t know where the problem lies, so I will offer you several starting points. When you’ve successfully patched the holes in a timeline, another door should appear to you, allowing you to move one step closer to the source. With each repaired timeline, it will become easier to pinpoint the source of all this.”

“Sounds simple enough,” mused Stiles.

“However, there are two last things you should know,” said the world tree. “First, if someone dies while they’re outside of their timeline, all iterations of them throughout time will be erased. It will be as if they had never existed.”

“That sounds pleasant,” said Stiles sarcastically.

“Lastly, there is the chance that you will encounter a rare phenomenon,” continued the world tree, ignoring Stiles. “It is called a doomed timeline. This is a timeline that was created as another iteration of the alpha timeline; however, something about it is too wrong. This timeline is ‘doomed’ and fated to blink out of existence. If you encounter one, you must abandon it and allow fate to run its course.”

“What would cause a doomed timeline?” asked Scott. “It seems weird since there are so many living alternate timelines.”

“The corruption of the timelines that is happening right now might actually generate some,” proposed the world tree. “However, they also occur naturally. There are fixed points in time. Events that, regardless of what timeline or universe they are in, must happen. In most doomed timelines, one of these points has been changed.”

“Alright, so seal the tears, fix any problems that happened because of the tears, and run away from doomed timelines,” rattled off Stiles. “I think we got it.”

“I will give you one last bit of help,” said the world tree.

An image of a wooden necklace appeared in front of Scott and Stiles. It had a glyph of protection and a glyph of unity overlapping each other as its base with the symbol for Scott’s pack encircling it. Stiles noticed that there were numerous runes engraved in the outer and inner rings of Scott’s symbol.

“Make one of these for each member of your pack,” continued the world tree. “They will tether you to this timeline and should only be used as a last resort. If any of you are in imminent danger of dying and have no options left, rip the necklace off and you will be transported back to the alpha timeline. Once you’ve done this though, there’s no way back. You can’t pass through the doors again and there is no other magic that can help you return to the rest of the pack. You will have to wait and hope for the best.”

“But it’s better than being erased from all of time,” said Scott somberly.

“Indeed,” concurred the world tree. “And that is the point. An emergency escape route if you need it. But realize that if all of you use it, then there will be no one left to stop whatever is causing this. They do, however, have one other function. They will alert you to a doomed timeline.”

“How will they do that?” asked Scott.

“The glyph in the center of the necklace will glow bright red for a short while when you enter a doomed timeline,” answered the world tree. “Without this mechanism, it would be rather difficult to tell if a timeline is doomed or not.”

“That makes sense,” said Scott. “I was wondering how we’d be able to tell the difference.”

“It shouldn’t take too long to make these,” said Stiles, examining the necklace. “By the time everyone else is doing getting ready for the trip, I’ll be done.”

“Very well,” said the world tree as the image vanished. “You must hurry though. Your time is limited. When you are ready, go to the Nemeton and place your hand on the ground. I will summon the doors at that time. However, it is up to you which door to go through. Your journey will take you back in time in your own timeline as well as others. Keep that in mind.”

Scott and Stiles nodded and they blinked. When they opened their eyes, they were on the floor of Derek’s loft again with everyone standing around and staring at them. Apparently when they were in this state, their tattoos and eyes were glowing just like when they were in their soul linked state.

Scott and Stiles quickly explained the situation to everyone and what they had to do. The pack seemed ready to go, even Liam in spite of how freaked out he looked. Liam seemed to relax when Mason put his hand on his shoulder reassuringly. Melissa and the sheriff weren’t happy about this plan, but they realized there was no other option and resolved to help get everyone ready as best they could. Moments later, the pack dispersed to make their own preparations, agreeing to meet at the Nemeton within an hour.

Scott and Stiles returned to Stiles’ house where all of his druid supplies were. Stiles started making the necklaces for each person while Scott made sure all of the pouches in Stiles’ belt were well stocked before moving on to make a small backpack for each of them. He made sure not to forget Stiles’ rune covered bat. Stiles would never forgive him if he left that behind.

Scott was impressed at how fast Stiles could churn out such intricate necklaces. Scott guessed that he had been practicing a lot and he knew once Stiles had set his full focus and energy on something, it could get done really fast. As they went to leave the house, Melissa walked up with some food and first aid kits.

“Just in case,” she said.

Scott smiled at his mom and gave her a hug before climbing into Stiles’ Jeep and going to join the rest of the pack. The sheriff and Melissa followed right behind them.

While Scott and Stiles were walking through the preserve, heading for the Nemeton, they came across Danny. He greeted them with a smile.

“Danny?” asked Scott in surprise. “What’re you doing here?”

“I came to give you something,” replied Danny, removing something from his pocket.

It was an ornate silver necklace with a multicolored crystal in its center. The colors of the crystal seemed to swirl and change randomly, pulsing almost as if it were alive. Stiles could sense extraordinary amounts of powerful and ancient magic imbued within the necklace, almost as if each part of it had been crafted from magic itself.

“This is a family heirloom,” explained Danny. “There are times when we, the watchers, can’t personally observe history in the making. When that happens, we use this. It records everything that happens and allows another Mahealani to see it. It’s immune to the effects of time, so it should be safe to go with you. All you have to do is wear it.”

Scott took the necklace from Danny, placed it around his neck, and said, “Okay. Thanks, Danny.”

Danny simply nodded and said, “Good luck, guys. We’re all counting on you. I’ll be waiting to write it all down.”

With that, Danny turned around and walked away.

The rest of the pack had already arrived by the time Scott and Stiles got there. Everyone had a backpack ready. Allison had a quiver and multiple handheld crossbows attached to her backpack along with a few Chinese ring daggers strapped to her hips. Braeden seemed armed to the teeth as well and she was arguing with Derek.

“What do you mean I’m not coming with you?” asked Braeden incredulously.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” explained Derek.

“I’ll be fine. You know I can take care of myself,” she retorted. “I’m more worried about something happening to you.”

“That’s exactly why I want you to stay!” exclaimed Derek, sounding exasperated.

“Derek,” interjected Scott. “I think she should come.”

Braden’s face lit up as Derek’s fell.

“What?” asked Derek, his tone slightly testy.

“Derek, you know she’s a great fighter,” Scott explained calmly. “Allison is coming, too, and she’s human. We need everyone going into this.”

Braeden nodded in agreement and Derek sighed in resignation.

“Yeah, you’re right,” said Derek.

“Besides, if anything truly bad happens, we have a way out,” said Stiles. “These.”

Stiles held out the necklaces and briefly explained how to use them. This actually seemed to ease Derek’s mind as well as the others. It was a good thing Stiles had made one for Braeden anyway. Stiles handed out a necklace to each person.

“There’s not one for Mason?” asked Liam.

“No, he’s not coming with us,” answered Stiles.

“Why not?” asked Liam, his anger flaring just a bit.

“Liam, chill, man,” said Mason. “I’m not like everyone else. I don’t have any special powers or fighting skills. I’d only get in the way.”

“But-” started Liam before he was quickly shushed by Mason.

“Liam, you’ll be fine without me,” said Mason, smiling at his best friend. “You’re going to go kick some ass and fix all this. And I’ll be here waiting for you to get back so I can kick your ass at video games.”

Liam smirked and said, “Not even in your dreams.”

Mason pulled Liam into a tight but brief hug and said, “Good luck, man.”

Liam nodded at him as Mason joined the parents at the edge of the Nemeton’s clearing.

Stiles stood directly in front of the Nemeton and placed his hand on the ground. His eyes flashed green and a glyph appeared below his hand. The ground began to quake beneath them. Suddenly, five wooden doors rose out of the ground, encircling the Nemeton.

Scott and Stiles moved to inspect the doors. Each door had a marking of some sort on it. The first had a triskele with the rune for origins or beginnings beneath it. The next one had a broken crossbow. The third door had a triskele with the glyph of life behind it. The fourth door had a glowing black glyph on it. Stiles recognized it immediately. It was Rhys’ glyph. That couldn’t be good. The final door was oddest. It featured a triskele encircled by Scott’s symbol with a guitar, bass, and drums respectively in each of the three points of the triskele. Clearly the world tree had a thing for being cryptic. Scott and Stiles turned to face the pack.

“We have to pick a door,” Scott said, addressing the pack.

“Once we do, there’s no going back,” added Stiles.

“How do we pick which one?” asked Isaac. “Did the world tree give you any advice?”

“No, it just told us these were all good starting points,” replied Stiles.

“I think Scott should choose,” proposed Derek. “He’s our alpha and I have confidence in him.”

“I agree completely,” Malia said confidently.

“Me, too!” agreed Liam. “I trust Scott.”

“As do I,” concurred Isaac.

Everyone else was in agreement and Scott was overwhelmed by their support. Stiles just smiled at him.

_You shouldn’t have expected anything else, Scott. Of course they believe in you._

_Yeah, I know. I’m just not used to it, y’know?_

_Come on now, Scotty. We both know you’re a great leader. Derek even said so himself. And you know I’ve always got your back._

_Thanks, Stiles._

“So, what’ll it be, Scott?” asked Jayce.

Scott turned to look at the doors one more time. He went over their markings in his head again and again trying to discern the meaning behind their symbols. The one with Rhys’ glyph on it scared him. There was no way in hell they were going to that timeline if they could help it. The last door’s symbols confused him the most. His and Derek’s symbols with musical instruments. Were they all part of some kind of band? What kind of an alternate timeline was that?

Scott shook his head. The two doors that kept coming back to mind were the first and third doors. The triskele with the rune for origins or the glyph of life. Those looked particularly interesting and like good places to start to Scott.

“The first door,” said Scott. “It’s got the rune for origins on it, so maybe we can learn something useful there.”

“That’s actually really good thinking,” said Lydia, sounding pleasantly surprised.

“Yeah, I think it’s a great choice, Scott,” said Stiles, clapping his best friend on the back.

“Let’s get going then,” said Allison. “We’re running out of time.”

Everyone gathered at the front of the first door. Scott reached for the handle and pulled the door open. Despite there being nothing visible behind the door before, there was a bright blue field of energy that filled the doorway. Beyond it, they could see what looked like a small town. It definitely wasn’t the Nemeton which was directly behind the door. Without further hesitation, the pack began to step through the door. Scott and Stiles went last, walking through the doorway together. As they passed through the doorway, they heard the world tree one last time.

“Good luck, little ones,” it whispered.

And then it was gone.


	2. Return To The Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is much shorter! Sorry my length is inconsistent, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Scott and Stiles found themselves in a familiar place. They were on the cliff overlooking Beacon Hills. But there was something different. The town before them was much smaller and the buildings looked simpler. There definitely weren’t as many lights. Scott could see that everyone was just as confused and disoriented as he was. It was time they got their bearings.

“Okay,” said Scott. “I think we all know we’re in Beacon Hills, but now we need to figure out when we are and if this is a beta timeline or not.”

“Actually, I can help with that,” said Stiles. “Take a look at the back of your necklace. I added a little something to them.”

Scott pulled out his necklace and looked on the back of it. He saw three symbols arranged in a triangle. The greek letters alpha and beta and a skull. The alpha symbol was glowing a bright red.

“I thought it might be helpful if we could tell if this was an alpha or beta timeline, so I added that to help us out,” said Stiles, sensing Scott’s question before he ever asked it. “As for the skull, well, that’s for doomed timelines.”

“But the necklace already tells us if we’re in a doomed timeline,” said Scott.

“Yeah, but it only does it for a second or two,” explained Stiles. “What if we missed it or something? Better safe than sorry.”

“Good point,” admitted Scott. “So, we’re in our timeline’s, the alpha timeline, past. Any way to figure out when?”

“Not that I can think of offhand,” shrugged Stiles.

“I’d guess around the mid to late 1930’s,” suggested Lydia with her usual confidence. “By the look of things, the great depression probably recently ended. And if this is Beacon Hills, that means the town was just recently founded.”

“Origins,” murmured Derek. “That’s what the rune on the door said. With my family’s symbol. Do you think this is when my family first came to Beacon Hills?”

“That’d make a lot of sense,” said Stiles. “Your family was charged with protecting this area since it’s founding.”

“If that’s the case, this was probably one of the best places to start,” interjected Jayce. “We can learn a lot while we’re here.”

“And it’ll let us fix part of our own timeline,” said Allison. “That should help a lot.”

“Let’s get going then,” said Malia. “We’re supposed to be in a hurry, right?”

Everyone nodded and they made their way down to the town. As they made their way through the town, Derek froze. He smelled something he hadn’t smelled in a very long time. It wasn’t exactly the same, but it was similar. It smelled like his mom. It smelled like Talia.

Scott noticed Derek had stopped and he could smell the confusion on him.

“What’s wrong, Derek?” asked Scott.

“I smell my mom,” Derek answered, still a little confused. “It’s not exactly like her, but really close.”

“It’s probably your great grandmother,” suggested Lydia. “I’m sure family shares similar scents.”

“They do,” agreed Derek. “You’re probably right. And if so, she’s nearby.”

“Let’s find her then,” said Stiles. “We could learn something.”

Derek lead them into the woods of what would someday become the Beacon Hills Preserve. Stiles felt the Nemeton’s presence drawing closer. Whoever they were following must be at the clearing.

Sure enough, they reached the clearing. The pack stayed hidden behind some of the larger trees. The Nemeton stood there in its full glory. It was just as big as it was in their time. Near it stood four people, two men and two women. The two who stood with their backs to the Nemeton were dark complected and the man reminded Scott a lot of Dr. Deaton. The other two with their backs to the rest of the pack had straight black hair and were fair skinned. The woman’s hair ran halfway down her back.

“So this is why you called us here,” said the fair skinned woman, seemingly bemused.

“Yes,” spoke the dark-skinned man. “Mrs. Hale, we would like to entrust the protection of this area to the Hale pack.”

The man standing next to her seemed mure surprised than she was by this proposal. In fact, the woman didn’t visibly react very much at all.

“You realize what you’re proposing, right?” she asked, her tone somehow light and serious at the same time. It reminded Derek of how his mother used to talk sometimes.

“Yes we do. And we of the Deaton family will serve as your druid emissaries,” said Mr. Deaton.

“You would have us up and move our entire family?” asked the man standing next to Mrs. Hale. “Why would-”

“Darius!” interrupted Mrs. Hale, cutting him off. “Virgil and Shawna wouldn’t have asked us if they didn’t have a good reason.”

“But, Talia-” protested Darius

“Enough,” said Talia, cutting him off again. “We will hear out there proposal. Please, continue.”

“The magical and supernatural energies of this area are shifting,” began Shawna. “This area has always been a hub of supernatural power, but it wasn’t until recently that a Nemeton appeared.”

“This wasn’t always here?” asked Talia, seemingly genuinely surprised for once.

“No,” replied Virgil. “It’s new. The appearance of the Nemeton is exciting, especially for us druids; however, it is not without its drawbacks. The supernatural activity here will increase exponentially. The Nemeton will act almost as a beacon of sorts.”

“And then there’s the telluric currents,” added Shawna. “They play into this as well. They’re exceptionally powerful and they seem to converge on the Nemeton.”

“There is another matter, too,” continued Virgil. “The packs, at least in the nearby areas, are falling out of line. Many no longer follow rules and traditions. The great depression had a lot to do with that. It is our hope that you will also be a uniting force for the packs.”

“I see,” said Talia thoughtfully. “You’re asking a lot of us. The protection of a town, both its human and supernatural residents, the guardianship of this power, and bringing order to the packs in this area. So, I must ask. Why us?”

“The Hale pack is well known for its leadership, wisdom, fairness, and strength even though you hold no major standing,” answered Virgil. “Your pack does not actively seek out power. You largely live among humans and no one knows. We believe that there is no other pack better suited for this job.”

“And if you accept, you will have the full support of the Deaton family,” added Shawna. “You may choose either me or Virgil as your personal emissary and our children will follow in the years to come.”

Talia seemed to be in deep thought, weighing the pros and cons of this proposal. Scott and the others were still watching in stunned silence. They had never expected to get to see this unfold. Darius seemed a little frustrated, but remained quiet.

“Very well,” said Talia, a thin grin crossing her face. “The Hale pack accepts your proposal. We will become the the protectors of Beacon Hills.”

“What?!” exclaimed Darius, no longer containing his outrage. “But, Talia, we-”

“That’s enough, Darius!” said Talia sternly, her eyes flashing a bright crimson for a moment. “I am the alpha and my decision is final.”

Darius immediately quieted himself. Her voice hadn’t carried anger and she hadn’t used her alpha roar on him, but she commanded enough power and respect for that to be enough.

“Excellent!” said Virgil. “We’ll perform the binding ritual as soon as possible. How long will you need?”

“Not long,” Talia replied. “In spite of what my husband thinks, it won’t be hard to move everyone here. We’ve kept mostly to ourselves and our children are young enough for the move not to matter.”

“Shall we plan for tomorrow then?” suggested Shawna. “Your whole pack doesn’t need to be here yet. Only the alpha has to be present for the ritual.”

“Tomorrow is a full moon,” mused Talia. “I assume that was intentional.”

“It would make the bond stronger,” acknowledged Shawna. “For both sides.”

“Tomorrow it is then,” nodded Talia.

“Then we’ll bid you good night for now,” said Virgil, bowing. “Until tomorrow.”

Talia bowed her head briefly in his direction before Virgil and Shawna turned and left the clearing. Although he appeared a bit resentful, Darius had largely calmed down as he and Talia left the clearing, leaving Scott and the rest of the pack to think about what they’d just seen.

“Was that how your family came to Beacon Hills, Derek?” asked Stiles.

“I don’t know,” answered Derek. “My mom always said we were the protectors of Beacon Hills. It would make sense that this is how they came here especially with as much power lies here. But it is weird for a druid to seek out a pack. Usually it’s the other way around.”

“I think this was a special circumstance,” said Lydia. “You heard him. Someone has to protect this kind of power.”

“And bring order to the packs,” added Allison. “I do remember reading that my family was particularly active during this time.”

“If the packs were particularly problematic at this point, that would make sense,” said Jayce. “After all, they hunt those who harm humans and pose a threat.”

“But your family left this area for a long while,” mused Stiles. “Do you think it’s because the Hale pack brought order to the surrounding packs?”

“I don’t know,” shrugged Allison. “But that’s probably the reason.”

“So what do we do now?” asked Liam. “It’s pretty late.”

“Perhaps you should explain what you’re doing lurking in the woods and spying on people so late at night,” said a familiar female voice. Talia.

Everyone jumped and spun around to find her and Darius looking at them, their arms crossed. Neither of them looked happy to have found them.

“Uh… We’re…” stuttered Stiles, slightly flailing around as he always did when he was surprised or nervous.

“We’re just some kids from town,” Scott threw out quickly. “We were just walking through the woods at night for a thrill.”

“Please don’t insult me,” responded Talia. “I know four of you are werewolves.”

“Ah… Well…” stammered Scott, at a loss for words. Why had he thought that would work?

“And you,” said Talia, casting a confused, but curious look at Derek. “Who are you? You smell like family, but I don’t recognize you.”

Derek froze, unsure of how to respond to that. Talia didn’t look like she was willing to wait.

_I can cast an illusion spell to give us time to escape_ , thought Stiles.

_No, I think running would be bad. Maybe we should tell her the truth?_ replied Scott.

_Right, because that always works._

_You never know!_

Scott felt Stiles sigh in his mind. He was sure they shouldn’t run, but he didn’t know what to do exactly.

“Well?” asked Talia again, more insistent this time.

“I think we should tell her the truth,” spoke up Jayce. “It’d be good to have them as allies.”

“He’s right,” agreed Lydia. “We could use their help.”

It relieved Scott to hear his friends agree with what he was thinking. He nodded at them and looked back at Talia who looked both curious and amused.

“Do tell,” she encouraged Scott, cocking an eyebrow.

“My name is Scott McCall,” said Scott, his confidence returning as he allowed his eyes to flash a brilliant red. “And this is my pack.”

“McCall?” asked Darius. “I’ve never heard that name before. And your ‘pack’ is mostly non-werewolves. What kind of alpha are you?”

Talia raised her hand to silence Darius and said, “Curious that I’d be unaware of another local pack. Especially one as… unorthodox as yours.”

“We’re not exactly from around here,” said Stiles. “Or, really, we’re not from around this time.”

“What do you mean?” inquired Talia, looking genuinely intrigued by all of this.

“And who are you to speak for your alpha?” snorted Darius incredulously.

Scott felt Stiles bristle at the remark. He know Stiles wouldn’t do anything too stupid. Right?

Stiles’ eyes began to glow a deep forest green. It was brighter and more powerful than usual. Yep, they’d managed to piss Stiles off. Scott sighed.

“I’m his emissary and his best friend,” retorted Stiles. “Good enough for you?”

Darius made a face and took a step back as Talia let out a small laugh.

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” mused Talia. “I’ve never seen a druid who had glowing eyes before. But I can sense you’re not like most druids.”

“I’m a world druid,” said Stiles simply.

“A world druid?” said Talia, a momentary expression of surprise crossing her face before vanishing as she looked at Scott. “Then you must be a true alpha.”

“I am,” nodded Scott.

“How incredibly rare,” said Talia. “If you’re here, it must be for a reason. What is it?”

“It’s going to sound really strange,” said Stiles, the glow of his eyes fading back to their natural deep brown color. “We’re actually from the future. That grumpy looking one over there is actually one of your descendents.”

Derek shot a glare at Stiles before stepping forward and saying, “My name is Derek Hale. If I’m right, I think I’d be your great grandson.”

“It’s good to know the Hale family will continue to produce fine young wolves,” nodded Talia approvingly.

Derek, Scott, and Stiles winced at the remark, knowing what the future held, but Talia either elected to ignore it or didn’t notice.

“So why are you traveling through time?” asked Talia.

“In our time, time seems to be collapsing on itself,” answered Scott. “When we left, Beacon Hills was literally being ripped apart by rips and warps in time. We’re working our way through to try and find the cause.”

“If we can stop it, we can fix everything,” continued Stiles. “There’s probably tears appearing here already, but if they’re aren’t there will be soon. We have to seal them before moving on.”

“Why not just move forward as fast as you can?” asked Darius.

“The world tree didn’t know where the cause is, so we have to work our way back, stabilizing the timelines as we go,” answered Stiles.

“World tree?” asked Darius.

“It’s what the Nemeton represents,” said Talia. “The world tree itself is the origin of everything. Or so the druids believe.”

“It’s true,” said Stiles. “We’ve seen it and spoken to it. That’s part of what it means for me to be a world druid.”

“I see,” said Talia, pausing to think for a moment. “You’ll come with us then.”

“What?” asked Darius and Stiles in unison.

“You’ll stay with us and accompany us to the binding ritual tomorrow,” said Talia. “I’ll send word for the family to make their way here. I’ve already secured a house.”

“When did you do that?” asked Darius, sounding more surprised than anything.

“I was pretty sure that’s what Virgil and Shawna had intended to ask us when they called,” answered Talia. “So, I secured a place for my family.”

Derek couldn’t help but smile. She reminded him a lot of his mother. Always thinking ahead, a great leader, intelligent, wise. It was nice to see again.

“Alright,” said Scott. “We’ll stay with you. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“What a polite young alpha,” smiled Talia. “Your mother raised you well.”

Scott blushed and cast his eyes at the ground, eliciting a gentle laugh from Talia and a pat on his back from Stiles. Without any further delay, they departed for the Hale family house.


	3. The Binding

Talia lead them through the woods and to the Hale house. Derek was amazed by how much his great grandmother was like his mother. When they got to the house, Derek froze for a moment. There it was. His family’s house. The house he’d grown up in. It was whole and new and beautiful. It was just like in his memories. Scott and Stiles also seemed entranced by the house. After all, neither of them had ever seen more than the charred remains before now.

Talia noticed their odd behavior.

“Is something wrong?” asked Talia. “Is the house that much different in the future?”

“Um... No!” Derek answered quickly. “No. It’s just surreal to see it how it was originally.”

Talia shot him a doubtful look and said, “Derek, you’re a terrible liar.”

Derek looked away, ashamed. Of course she could tell he was lying. He wasn’t exactly subtle to begin with and then add in the werewolf hearing...

“I’d rather not talk about it,” Derek said quietly.

“Very well,” conceded Talia, not pressing the matter further. “Let me show you around.”

She walked them through the rather large house. Scott had always gotten the feeling that the Hale house was huge, but he’d never realized just how huge until now. The fire had really decimated it. Talia finished the tour by showing them the bedrooms.

“You can each take a room for tonight,” said Talia, motioning towards the rooms. “The rest of the family won’t be around until tomorrow afternoon sometime at the earliest. Please make yourselves at home.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Hale,” said Scott with a smile.

“Please. Call me Talia, Scott. We’re both alphas after all, in spite of the age difference.”

“Oh. Um, okay!” said Scott bashfully, not used to calling adults by their first name.

“All of the beds are queen size in case any of you care to share a room,” said Talia, casting a sly smile at Derek and Braeden who both blushed immediately.

“Thanks,” stammered Derek quickly, refusing to meet Talia’s gaze.

“If you need anything, just ask me or Darius,” said Talia, pausing a moment to see if anyone had anything to say. “Until tomorrow then. Good night.”

Talia and Darius turned and left them, returning to the master bedroom. The rest of the pack split up, each taking their own room except for Derek and Braeden. They were surprised at how tired they were. None of them had realized how long they’d been going until they finally stopped. Everyone decided to turn in early for the night. Scott had just sat down on his bed when he heard Stiles’ voice in his head.

_Hey, Scott, mind if I come over?_

_No. What’s up?_

_I dunno. I just feel like things are a bit off, y’know? Besides I get the feeling we should talk._

_Yeah, actually, there’s some stuff we should go over._

_Be right there._

A few seconds later, the door to Scott’s room swung open and Stiles walked through, closing the door behind him. He plopped down next to Scott on the bed. Scott could tell Stiles had a lot on his mind; he didn’t need the soul link to figure that out.

“What’s on your mind, Stiles?” asked Scott.

“A lot,” replied Stiles. “This whole thing is a bit crazy, don’t you think?”

“Honestly, it’s not much crazier than anything else we’ve been through at this point.”

“Point taken. But that aside, this seems odd. This is the first place we’ve gone to and there’s nothing wrong. History seems to be going according to plan and there’s no tears anywhere.”

“Yeah, that is a bit weird. I kind of thought the first place we’d go would have all lot of tears or something going really wrong in the history.”

“Maybe it just hasn’t happened yet.”

“That’s probably it. But maybe we’re lucky and there’s really nothing major wrong here.”

“When are we ever that lucky, Scott?”

Scott frowned, but he knew Stiles was right. Scott had a better chance of finding a million dollars on the ground than nothing going wrong.

“A guy can dream,” sighed Scott.

“It’s more like a delusion at this point, Scotty,” said Stiles, a small smirk crossing his face. “But there’s something else, too. I’ve felt it ever since we got here.”

“Felt what?”

“I don’t know how to describe it exactly. It’s faint, but it’s there. It’s just an unsettling feeling. It feels like a darkness. But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is it feels familiar.”

“Familiar? What do you mean?”

“I mean what I said. It feels familiar. That’s what scares me the most. Why would it feel familiar?”

“I don’t know, but it’s going to be okay, Stiles. We’re going to find the source of this and we’re going to stop it.”

Scott felt Stiles’ mind relax at his words. Scott smiled knowing that his friend was feeling better. Stiles suddenly yawned deeply.

“Maybe we should get some rest,” suggested Scott.

“Probably,” agreed Stiles, already sounding sleepy. “Do you mind if I just crash here?”

Scott felt the uneasiness that still lied inside Stiles. Stiles was good at hiding it, but there was nothing they could really hide from each other. Being around Scott always comforted and calmed Stiles just like being around Stiles comforted and calmed Scott. If that would help his best friend, he didn’t mind. Besides, they’d done this since they were kids.

“Yeah, of course, dude,” laughed Scott.

“Thanks, Scott,” mumbled Stiles as he fell back onto the bed, already drifting away.

Scott shook his head and pull back the covers, pulling them over himself and Stiles. He could tell his best friend’s mind was more at ease now. Not completely, but better. He hoped what was bothering Stiles was just a passing thing. For now, Scott laid down next to an already snoring Stiles and quickly drifted off to sleep himself.

* * *

 Derek looked uneasy and maybe even a little sullen. The both of them had gotten undressed for bed, comfortable in their underwear. Braeden sat next to him rubbed his back with her hand soothingly, crossing over his triskele tattoo multiple times.

“Talk to me, Derek,” said Braeden quietly. “I know this is hard on you.”

“I’m fine,” deflected Derek.

“We both know that’s not true. You’re back in a place you never thought you’d see again. No one expects you to be just fine.”

“It’s just weird. They don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I know, but you’ll to get past it. We all have things that’re hard for us, but we have to keep going.”

Derek sighed. He knew Braeden was right. Actually, he’d given similar advice to the twins during the Nogitsune incident and others as well. It was good advice.

“You’re right,” admitted Derek. “I’ll get over it. I’ve got a new pack now. A new family. And I’ve got you.”

Derek leaned over and briefly kissed Braeden on the lips as he said that. She smiled.

“Damn straight you do,” said Braeden. “We should get some sleep though. I get this feeling tomorrow is going to be interesting.”

“So do I,” said Derek, pulling the covers back. “We’ll definitely need our rest.”

Derek and Braeden crawled under the covers and wrapped themselves in each others’ arms. Braeden felt Derek’s body relax in her embrace. She couldn’t help but smile. Somehow they both made each other feel safe and secure. Moments later, they were both sound asleep.

* * *

 The next morning, the pack awoke to find Talia cooking them breakfast with Darius begrudgingly helping her. She served everyone bacon, eggs, and pancakes. As everyone sat down and began to dig in, she asked Scott and Stiles to come with her and Darius where they could talk more in private. They took their plates stacked with food and followed her.

They went down the stairs to the basement of the house. On their way, they passed a room that looked like a large library; however, neither Scott nor Stiles had time to get a good look at it. Talia lead them into room that resembled a conference room. There were long tables arranged in a rectangle with an ample number of chairs at each table. Scott realized he could no longer hear the background noise he normally could after Talia closed the door. The room was soundproof. Stiles was a bit on edge because of this.

“I keep this room for private meetings,” explained Talia. “It keeps away prying ears, werewolf or otherwise. Most people will never come down here.”

“Why the need for a private soundproof room to talk to us?” questioned Stiles.

“I just wanted to talk to you privately,” answered Talia. “To get to know the two of you better. It’s easier to plan and act when you know what’s going on.”

“Fair enough,” said Scott. “What do you want to know?”

What she wanted to know was basically everything. Who Scott and Stiles were, who their pack members were, why their pack was so diverse, more about the true alpha and world druid, and more about why they were there. Scott tried to be as open as possible with Talia and Darius. Darius still seemed wary of them, but as they talked and he learned more about them, he seemed to relax more and accept Talia’s judgment of them. Darius didn’t hate them; he just didn’t know them. Scott figured his distrust of them wasn’t unreasonable. When they were done, the rejoined the rest of the pack who had started to pick up the table as they were all done with breakfast.

“The ritual won’t be until tonight,” said Talia. “Probably around nine. You’re welcome to stay here until that time or do whatever it is you want to do. Just be back here in time to leave for ritual.”

“Thanks, Talia,” said Scott. “We’ll be here for it.”

She simply nodded and walked off with Darius. It seemed they had other business to attend to before the ritual, probably concerning moving their family. Scott and Stiles turned to face the pack.

“So what should we do?” asked Jayce. “We haven’t exactly explored this area yet.”

“I don’t feel any major imbalance here,” said Stiles. “But I guess we can’t be too careful. The world tree wouldn’t have sent us here for no reason.”

“We should split up and search the preserve and town for tears,” continued Scott. “Use the leftover wards to mark any you find for Stiles. Be sure to be back here in time for the ritual.”

“Sound good,” said Allison.

“Then let’s get going,” said Stiles.

The pack left the Hale house and split up to search for any tears. Even Scott and Stiles went their separate ways, though they remained in pretty constant communication via telepathy. Most of the day had passed and Stiles hadn’t found a tear nor had he felt anyone activate one of his wards. He checked his watch and realized that it was already after five. He had finished searching the area he’d wanted to, so he decided to touch base with Scott.

_Any luck, Scotty?_

_No. I haven’t found anything. What about you?_

_Same here. No rips, tears, warps. Nothing. And no one’s activated any wards either._

_Maybe we beat the tears here._

_What do you mean?_

_What if we arrived before they started appearing in this time zone?_

_That actually makes sense. But when would they appear?_

_I don’t know. Probably around some important event._

_Yeah, you’re probably-_

_And then it hit Stiles. It was obvious now._

_The ritual._

_What?_

_The ritual, Scott! That’s the important event. The tears are going to appear there first._

_Think we can stop it?_

_We’re sure as hell going to try. But we need to get back to the Hale house. I have to try and make some new wards to use._

_I’ll meet you there._

Scott and Stiles arrived at the Hale house at the same time. Without a word, they both hurried inside and went downstairs into the basement. They were going to the library that they’d seen.

Stiles began scanning the bookshelves. He hadn’t seen a library like this since the Mahealani’s library. For a brief moment, he wondered if their library was so big because it took over for the information lost in the Hale fire, but he quickly dismissed the thought and continued his search. They hadn’t got much farther when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Scott and Stiles spun around to see who it was.

Jayce and Lydia stepped into the library. Jayce’s face was an enigma, as it often was, but Lydia seemed bemused by the fact that they’d startled Scott and Stiles.

“What’re you doing down here?” asked Lydia.

“We could ask you the same question!” retorted Stiles.

“Well, I asked first.”

“We’re looking for books that might help us stop tears from appearing in the first place,” answered Scott quickly.

“I can help then,” said Lydia, striding confidently over the bookshelves. “I’m fluent in various languages including archaic Latin.”

“I can help, too,” said Jayce. “I’m not as familiar with languages, but I do know a lot about runes, magic, and ancient practices. It was part of the training as a waterbender.”

“Great because we’re going to need a lot of help to get through all these books,” said Stiles. “The Hale’s have a huge library.”

“Talia must have been planning this for a while,” observed Jayce.

“Yeah, she probably has,” agreed Scott. “Deaton’s great grandparents trusted her for reason.”

“Let’s get to work,” said Lydia.

Stiles nodded and they four of them started searching through the seemingly endless amount of books.

After hours of pouring through books, they had found very little. There were some new runes that Jayce had found. Lydia translated the text on them. They should be stronger and better than the ones Stiles had tried to use in their time. Stiles checked his watch. They were running out of time. This would have to do. He grabbed his materials and got to work on the wards.

Not long after he started, Talia and Darius appeared in the doorway.

“What’re you doing in our library?” asked Darius, sounding testy again.

“I’m sure they have a good reason,” dismissed Talia. “Besides, I did tell them to make themselves at home.”

“We haven’t found any tears here yet,” answered Scott so that Stiles could continue working. “We think that they might appear tonight at the ritual. It’s also possible whatever or whoever is causing this will be there. Stiles is making some wards to try and keep it from happening.”

“Maybe we should postpone the ritual,” suggested Darius as he looked at Talia, his concern apparent.

“No, it would be best for the ritual to be under a full moon,” said Talia. “Besides, it wouldn’t do well for the leader of a pack who is supposed to be taking up the guardianship of this area and its power to back down over a possible threat.”

It looked like Darius was about to say something, but Talia interrupted him and said, “However, I still need to be sure my family is safe. Darius, send word to the family. Tell them not to come tonight and that it is by my command. Don’t let them know it’s because there’s danger. You know how hot-headed some of our family is. They’d come rushing in and cause more problems.”

Her response actually relieved Darius a lot. He nodded and took off up the stairs to get in touch with the family. Hopefully he could stop them before they reached Beacon Hills. Talia turned to look at Scott.

“Will he be done in time?” she asked.

“He will,” answered Scott. “We’re going to stop this.”

“I hope so. I expect great things from a true alpha and world druid,” said Talia, a thin smile crossing her lips. “We can leave once he’s done so he’ll have time to set up his wards.”

“Sounds good.”

“Let me know when he’s ready.”

Talia turned and left the room, ascending the stairs quickly, but gracefully. Scott looked at his three friends in the room. Jayce and Lydia were still reading from one of the large books and Stiles was crafting his wards as quickly as his hands could move. Scott sat down next to Stiles and waited for him to finish. He felt a small sense of relief from Stiles when he sat down, but he could also feel the nervousness inside him. It was inside Scott, too. They had no idea if this would work or not. They just had to believe that it would.

Before much longer, the rest of the pack had returned. Eventually, they all found their way down to the basement. Malia paced anxiously around the room, not sure what to do and definitely not happy that she couldn’t really do anything to help. Liam sat at a table near Scott. He tried to look as calm as he could, but Scott could hear his racing heart and smell the anxiety exuding from him. Braeden and Allison sat at another table discussing different weapons and fighting styles. They both seemed pretty relaxed. Isaac and Derek sat in mostly silence at a nearby table. Every so often, Derek would glance over at Braeden and smile. Isaac rolled his eyes everytime he did this.

“I’m done,” proclaimed Stiles, beginning to gather his excess materials and the newly crafted wards.

“Good,” said Talia, entering the room just as Stiles said that. “We need to get going if you’re going to have time to set up your wards.”

“Is everyone ready?” asked Scott, looking around at his pack. “We don’t know what will happen tonight, so we need to be prepared.”

“I think we’re ready, Scott,” said Derek.

Scott glanced over and saw that Allison had her daggers and mini-crossbows strapped to her with her bow in hand and quiver on her back. Braden was standing next to her, a gun holstered to each hip with spare clips strapped to her thigh and a shotgun in hand. Scott knew Lydia had her gun in her purse. Besides, her banshee powers would probably be more than enough. Kira had her sword sheathed at her side. It seemed like everyone was ready.

“Alright, then let’s go,” said Scott.

They arrived at the Nemeton’s clearing quickly. The Hale house wasn’t far from it. Stiles immediately got to work setting up the wards around the Nemeton’s clearing. Since the ritual would be the target, he could isolate the wards to this area. Scott accompanied him, helping if he could.

Talia walked over to Virgil and Shawna who had just arrived at the edge of the clearing. They were surprised to see so many unfamiliar people there.

“Who are these people, Talia?” asked Virgil. “They’re not part of your pack.”

“No,” answered Talia, a bemused smile crossing her face. “They’re from the future.”

“What?!” asked Shawna in surprise. “That kind of magic shouldn’t be possible. Especially not for such a large group.”

“Yet here they are. And that’s not all. You see those two working on the wards?” asked Talia, gesturing towards Scott and Stiles. “The tan boy, Scott, is a true alpha and the pale one, Stiles, is a world druid.”

“Really?” asked Virgil, genuinely interested. “That quite interesting. If they are, they just might have been able to pull off that kind of magic. But why are they here?”

“They told me in their time, time is collapsing on itself,” replied Talia seriously. “From what I understand, their world was literally falling apart. They’re traveling back through time and across timelines in an effort to find the cause and stop it.”

“And this was their starting point?”

“It would seem so. But they haven’t found any rips or tears in time. They said that’s what they were looking for.”

“I see. Then what are those wards for?”

“They think that this is when the tears will appear. They said this is an important moment in history, so it’s a likely target.”

“That makes sense. It’s the moment when the Hale pack becomes the guardians of Beacon Hills.”

“Perhaps we should do this another night,” suggested Shawna. “If there’s danger, we should wait.”

“That’s exactly what my husband said,” sighed Talia. “I don’t think we should wait though.”

“I agree with Talia,” said Virgil. “Waiting wouldn’t be a good idea. We’ll let them set up their wards and then perform the ritual. If something happens or someone tries to interfere, I think we have a good number of people to stop them.”

“Exactly,” said Talia.

“I hope you two are right,” said Shawna, conceding defeat.

“Either way, it looks like they’re finished,” said Virgil.

Scott and Stiles had just placed the last ward. There were a total of five spread around the clearing. With the placement of the last ward, all five glew brightly for a moment before returning to normal. They were active. Scott and Stiles joined Talia, Virgil, and Shawna.

“Everything’s ready, Talia,” said Scott.

“Those wards are strong,” said Stiles, continuing seamlessly after Scott. “They should hold up against what we’re expecting.”

“And if not, we’re ready to fight,” added Scott.

“Do they always talk like that?” asked Shawna, cocking an eyebrow.

“More often than not,” said Talia.

“Side effect of the soul link,” explained Stiles quickly.

“It happens,” said Scott, eliciting a smirk from Stiles for doing exactly what Shawna had just asked about.

“True alpha. World druid. Soul link. How much power does this place actually have?” asked Shawna to no one in particular.

“Well, we could tell you, but-” started Stiles.

“That was rhetorical!” said Shawna, cutting him off, causing both Virgil and Talia to laugh.

“We should get started though,” said Virgil, quieting his laughter.

“Yes, you’re right. Darius just arrived, so we can begin,” said Talia as Darius entered the clearing.

“We’ll be waiting and watching from the edges of the clearing,” said Scott. “Hopefully, nothing happens.”

Scott and Stiles joined the rest of the pack at the edge of the clearing. Darius spoke with Virgil and Shawna briefly before hugging Talia and then joining the others at the edge of the clearing. Talia walked with Virgil to the center of the clearing, just in front of the Nemeton. She had chosen him to be her emissary.

Shawna began to draw the magic circle and runes for the ritual, dropping various plants over her lines as she went. She moved quickly and efficiently, her skill and experience apparent. She knew exactly what she was doing and had finished the complex circle in a matter of minutes. Finishing the last inner circle, a tight one encircling Talia and Virgil, she handed a runic dagger to both Talia and Virgil before exiting the circle and taking her spot at the edge of the clearing.

“Are you ready, Talia?” asked Virgil.

“Yes,” replied Talia. “Shall we begin?”

“Of course.”

Talia and Virgil took their daggers and pricked their thumbs with them, drawing blood. The runes on the daggers began to glow and the blood was pulled across the dagger, filling in a groove that ran around the edges of the blade. Once their blood had fully filled the groove, the runes began to shift and move along the dagger. In unison, Talia and Virgil stabbed their daggers into the ground in front of them.

Immediately, the magic circle that Shawna had drawn began to glow with a pale blue and white light. Now illuminated, the true intricate design and detail of the circle was revealed. There were numerous tiny runes and glyphs contained within the circle and at certain nodes on the circle. Within the circle itself, lines ran across, forming a network between the nodes. All of the lines connected, at some point, to the circle surrounding Talia and Virgil.

“I, Virgil Deaton, of the Deaton druidic clan hereby bind myself and my family to the Hale pack and the town of Beacon Hills. I pledge to always provide guidance, counsel, and assistance in anyway possible to the Hale pack,” declared Virgil.

“I, Talia Hale, alpha of the Hale pack hereby bind myself and my pack to the Deaton druidic clan and the town of Beacon Hills. I pledge to always guard and protect this town, its inhabitants, and the power that lies here,” proclaimed Talia.

At their words, a beam of light, matching that of the magic circle, erupted from each of the two daggers as magical energy crackled through the air. The beams of light began to expand, coming closer to each other as they began to fill the entire circle surrounding Talia and Virgil.

Stiles thought everything was going to be fine. He allowed himself to think that. Maybe, just maybe, they’d be lucky this one time. Then he saw his wards light up. They had been activated, their runes shining brightly and moving around frantically. They were being stressed, but they were holding.

Scott had noticed them, too, although Stiles’ distress would have clued him in even if he hadn’t. Scott made a few brief gestures to his pack, drawing their attention to the wards. As soon as they noticed, everyone began to get ready in case they failed. Scott really hoped the wards held out at least until the ritual was over. If he had  to guess, it was nearly done.

Kira drew her sword and readied herself for a potential attack. She was still new to this, but after everything she’d been through with Scott and the pack, she had really learned how to fight well. She noticed something out of the corner of her eye and she felt a small chill run through her and her eyes flashed orange for a moment. She glanced over where she thought she’d seen something and, for a second, she could have sworn she saw a black figure. When she looked again, it was gone. Maybe it was never there. She shook it off and refocused herself.

The beams of light had engulfed Talia and Virgil now, filling their inner circle. They could feel the bonds being forged between them and with the town itself. The ritual was almost complete. A few second longer and they would be bonded. That was when it finally happened.

Stiles’ wards exploded all at once with a deafening crack. With the magical defenses down, the tears and warps began to appear. Stiles and Scott had already anticipated this would happen. As soon as the wards exploded, they activated their soul link, the familiar red and green eyes and the runic tattoos covering their body as their powers flowed freely between one another.

Stiles saw it first. A huge crack in time was opening directly on top of Talia and Virgil. If it did, they would be wiped from existence and that would not be good. The soul link boosted his speed as well as his reflexes. Time seemed to slow down for Stiles, allowing him to react quickly.

Stiles imagined the runes and glyphs he needed into his head as he reached into a pouch on his belt, withdrawing a small amount of a powdered plant that he needed. Without hesitation, he threw the the powder and cast the spell. The glyphs and runes formed in mid-air, becoming quite large, and remained there.

Everything stopped. Talia, Virgil, the beams of light, and the faintest hint of the tear were frozen. Smaller runes and glyphs were circling the area, forming a sphere of sorts around the Talia, Virgil, and the tear. Other tears and crack began to appear throughout the area, but nothing as large as what Stiles knew was about to form over Talia and Virgil. Seeing that everything was calm, more or less, the pack walked over to Stiles and Scott who had just ended their soul link, their eyes returning to their normal colors and their tattoos receding to just the basic bands.

“What just happened?!” growled Darius. “I thought your wards were going to stop this from happening!”

“I said they might,” said Stiles defensively. “I never said they would for sure. Besides, you should be happy. I just saved Talia and Virgil.”

“How?” asked Darius.

“I froze them in time,” answered Stiles. “I saw the crack forming and thanks to our soul link, I was fast enough to cast it.”

“It’s not perfect,” added Scott. “But it was the best we could do at the moment. If that crack had opened on top of them, they would’ve been wiped from all of time as if they never existed.”

Darius took a step back in shock. He was processing the idea of Talia, his love, erased forever from existence. It scared him.

“So what do we do?” asked Darius, calming himself now.

“We have to seal the tears,” said Stiles. “It’ll take a little time, but we can do it.”

“It’s not going to be that simple though, is it?” asked Shawna. “You wouldn’t have used something so reckless if it was.”

“No,” admitted Stiles. “We also have to find a way to stop that crack from opening over Talia and Virgil before we unfreeze time. If we don’t, then I might as well have done nothing.”

“But we can do it, right?” asked Darius.

“I don’t know for sure,” answered Stiles truthfully.

“But one thing we’ve learned is that there is always a way if you look hard enough,” continued Scott.

“Exactly,” said Stiles.

“It sounds like we have some work to do then,” said Derek. “We should get to it.”

“Will they be safe if we leave them here?” asked Darius.

“Yes,” answered Stiles. “They’re essentially removed from time right now. The entire area is closed off and encased in magic. It doubles as a barrier of sorts.”

“The Hale library would be a good place to start,” said Jayce.

“Definitely,” said Scott. “Let’s go.”

 


	4. Dreaming Up A Solution

Back at the Hale family library, everyone began tearing through the books hoping to find something that could help them. Everyone divided into pairs or teams to try and move faster. Scott and Stiles worked together since they could instantly send information to each other. It let Scott use Stiles’ knowledge to easily read the books. Lydia and Jayce teamed up, combining Lydia’s knowledge of languages with Jayce’s knowledge of runes, glyphs, and symbols. Shawna tore through books with some assistance from Darius, although he spent more time trying to keep the books from being flung everywhere than actually helping her. Derek and Braeden tackled what books they could read, using Derek’s knowledge of the library to help with the search. Kira found a few books in Japanese and began to sift through them while Malia did her best to assist her. Allison and Isaac worked together, but Allison did the bulk of the work. Liam ran between groups, helping however he could. Liam tended to stay closer to Scott than the others.

A couple of hours had passed and no one had found anything useful. Stiles knew the tears would keep spreading. It would be a problem if they made it to the town. He took the wards that everyone used to flag the locations of the tears and began to modify them. He added a series of inhibitory runes to them. They should at least stop the tears until he had the time to seal them himself.

“Ok, guys,” said Stiles, handing the wards back out to everyone. “I need most of you to go and place one of these at each tear you find. I modified them to stop the tears. They won’t seal them, but they will stop them from spreading and growing.”

“Everyone should go except Shawna, Lydia, and Jayce,” said Scott. “We need them to help us keep searching. When you finish, come back here and rest. It’s already late.”

“What about you guys?” asked Allison. “You need sleep, too.”

“Finding a solution is more important,” replied Stiles.

“You can’t do anything if you’re too tired to stand,” said Derek. “All of you need to rest at some point.”

“They’re right,” said Scott.

“Fine,” surrendered Stiles. “We’ll all take a break when everyone gets back from dropping the wards.”

“I think we can work with that,” smiled Allison.

“We should get going,” said Braeden.

The rest of the pack and Darius grabbed their wards and headed back up the stairs. Malia lingered a moment, giving Stiles a serious look.

“Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?” said Malia.

“Yeah,” Stiles said quietly. “I know.”

Malia gave Stiles a quick hug, which he gratefully returned, before running after the others.

“Let’s get to work,” said Shawna, spreading out untouched books on the table. It was going to be a long night

Hours passed and they had still found nothing. Occasionally, they found a clue that might help, but it just lead them to another book that ultimately didn’t have an answer. The rest of the pack returned and demanded that Stiles and the others take a break.

“I need to keep going,” insisted Stiles. “We’re getting close.”

“No we’re not,” said Lydia. “We’re no closer to finding the answer than we were before they left.”

“Let’s get some rest and try again tomorrow, Stiles,” suggested Jayce. “Fresh eyes might uncover new things.”

“You’re friends are right,” agreed Shawna, yawning slightly. “We should get some sleep.”

“Just give me a few more minutes,” begged Stiles. “I promise I’ll go to sleep after that.”

No one looked like they believed Stiles, so Scott quickly spoke up and said, “I’ll stay with him and make sure he does. No more than ten minutes, alright?”

“Yeah! Thanks, Scott!” beamed Stiles.

“Alright,” sighed Allison in resignation. “I’m trusting you to get him to bed in ten minutes, Scott.”

“We’ll be fine, Allison,” said Scott.

She gave him a nod before she and the others ascended to the stairs, returning to their rooms for the night.

“It’s going to be longer than ten minutes, isn’t it?” asked Scott, almost rhetorically at this point.

“Oh yeah,” confirmed Stiles, grabbing another book.

Scott groaned, but helped Stiles grab some more books and began reading.

After another half hour of reading and researching, tiredness really started to set in. It was now into the early morning and in spite of their strong wills, they were getting sleepy. Stiles yawned, causing Scott to yawn in turn. Stiles laid his head down on a book for just a moment. Closing his eyes for a second couldn’t hurt. Scott seemed to have the same idea. Just a few minutes and they’d get back to work. Scott and Stiles were both deeply and soundly asleep in seconds.

* * *

 Scott and Stiles were floating next to each other, though there was some distance between them. They didn’t know where they were, but it seemed like a black void. They looked at each other, finally realizing they were both there. Scott was about to say something when a loud cracking noise ripped through the area.

Directly in front of them, a giant crack had appeared, just like the other ones, except this one was pulling them in.

“What do we do?!” shouted Scott.

“I don’t know!” said Stiles. “I don’t even know where we are!”

“I’m open to ideas!”

“Soul link?”

“Worth a shot.”

Scott and Stiles easily shifted into their soul linked state, but they still didn’t know what to do. Stiles drew several elemental runes in the air, launching blasts of fire, rock, and water at the crack. It had no noticeable effect.

Since offense wasn’t working, they decided to try running away. They strained, moving against the pull of the crack, but it was useless. The crack was steadily pulling them in.

“Now what?” said Scott.

“I don’t know,” said Stiles. “How did we even get here?”

“I don’t know. Last thing I remember, we were looking through the books in the library by ourselves.”

“Yeah, I remember that, too.”

“And then we fell asleep… Stiles! What if this is a dream?”

“A dream? It feels pretty real.”

“Yeah, but if you think about it, it makes sense. This is exactly the same problem we’re facing right now.”

“So all we have to do is wake up?”

“No, I think we need to solve this.”

“We did fall asleep on a bunch of books about magic and runes. Maybe this is trying to show us the answer.”

“Yeah. Now how do we find it?”

“Maybe we need to focus. You know, like when we reached out to the world tree? We can reach out for the knowledge I have. I have access to all of it after all.”

“Sounds good, but we should hurry. We’re getting a little too close for comfort to that crack.”

Stiles just nodded in response. The two of them closed their eyes and reached out with their minds. Stiles felt Scott struggling a bit with it. After all, he wasn’t used to doing this part of it. But Stiles guided him and soon Scott was doing it as well as he was. They were like one mind when they were like this, working in tandem. They felt strong, like they could do anything. Suddenly, everything clicked.

A surge of knowledge and power surged through Scott and Stiles. They snapped their eyes open in time to see runes and glyphs begin to form in front of them. The two glyphs moved to overlay each other as the runes quickly encircled them. They were glowing a brilliant golden hue. The area began to shake as the crack shrank in size. Just before the crack vanished, there was a flash of golden light, blinding Scott and Stiles.

* * *

 Scott and Stiles both jumped as they awakened suddenly. Stiles flailed so much that he actually managed to fall out of his seat, hitting the ground with a thud. A broad grin crossed Scott’s face as he helped Stiles up, earning a short lived resentful glare from Stiles.

Stiles looked at the book he had fallen asleep on and was surprised. The words, runes, and glyphs on the page were rearranging themselves. They formed the combination that he had seen in the dream. New words began to appear on the paper beneath it, explaining how to use it.

“That’s amazing!” exclaimed Scott.

“It’s what we saw in the dream,” said Stiles. “This book must’ve triggered that dream.”

“I wonder why.”

Stiles flipped the book over, examining the cover. He couldn’t read the language that the title was in, but he recognized the symbols. On the front of the cover was the unmistakable image of the world tree. Surrounding it were glyphs of knowledge, change, and synthesis.

“Well, I have no idea what this books is called, but if I had to guess, it’s a book that helps the reader create new solutions to a problem,” said Stiles.

“That’s pretty convenient,” said Scott.

“Yeah, but I’m not complaining. I doubt anyone can use it.”

“Why do you say that?”

“It’s powerful magic, Scott. Not just anyone can do that. It’d take a pretty skilled druid.”

“Is that your way of complimenting yourself?”

“Maybe a little, but I’m not wrong,” said Stiles, smirking as he said that.

Scott sighed and said, “We should probably get some actual rest before we try and fix this tomorrow.”

“It’s a bit late for that,” said Allison, entering the library. She didn’t look amused to see them there. “Scott, I thought you said you’d make sure he got some rest.”

“Well, technically, we did,” said Stiles.

“Yeah!” Scott agreed quickly. “We fell asleep on the books.”

“And that makes it better?” asked Allison, looking unimpressed.

“It is if we tell you we found the solution,” said Stiles.

“Wait, did you really?” asked Darius.

“Yeah,” replied Scott. “It came to us in a dream.”

“The sounds just a little absurd,” said Lydia, giving them a doubtful look.

“It’s true though,” insisted Scott. “When we woke up, it appeared in this book.”

“Let me see that,” said Lydia, reaching for it.

Lydia moved to examine the page and Jayce joined her. They made quite the team when it came to deciphering texts. After a few minutes of quiet discussion between the two of them, they nodded at each other and turned to face everyone else.

“These runes and glyphs do look like they’d be effective at fixing a tear in time,” said Jayce. “They’re stronger than what Stiles has been using so far.”

“But just being able to seal it isn’t enough,” said Shawna. “He has to place the rune before time resumes.”

“Right. That’s where the text comes in. It explains how to put the glyphs in place while time is frozen,” explained Lydia

“How is that even possible?” asked Kira.

“Apparently, the glyphs and runes are powerful enough to be etched into the area where time is frozen,” answered Lydia.

“Yeah. I can’t read the words, but I do understand the glyphs and runes,” added Jayce. “It looks like the design has a spell written into it that lets the user etch them anywhere, even in a frozen area of time.”

“But it’ll take a lot of power and skill,” said Lydia. “Not just anyone can use this.”

“Good thing I’m a world druid then,” said Stiles, perhaps a little smugly. “And I’m linked with a true alpha. I can do this.”

Lydia nodded and said, “Yeah, I don’t doubt it. You’re probably the only one who can, Stiles.”

“What happens when he unfreezes time though?” asked Isaac.

“I don’t know,” answered Stiles. “I don’t exactly have a lot of experience with freezing and unfreezing time.”

“There’s a few possibilities,” interjected Lydia. “It could just drop them back into this timeline like pressing play on a paused video. Or it could snap the us all back to the moment when Stiles froze time.”

“Won’t that cause problems?” asked Kira.

“Snapping us back? Probably,” answered Lydia. “It’d undo anything we’d done here, like placing all those wards.”

“So you’re saying if that’s what happens, we might actually be making things worse?” asked Derek.

“Hmm. Yep. That’s a possibility,” mused Lydia, tapping a finger to her cheek thoughtfully.

“That’s reassuring,” said Liam.

“Guys, we have to do something,” Stiles said firmly. “If we do nothing, then things will just get worse and time will keep collapsing on itself.”

“Stiles is right,” agreed Scott. “If we’re going to move forward, we have to act. We can’t just wait anymore.”

“Then let’s do it,” said Darius, eager to help his wife.

“We should wait until tonight,” said Shawna. “It’s only one day after the true full moon. We should try to make the conditions as close as possible to the moment we froze them.”

“That’s a good idea,” concurred Jayce. “If the unpause theory is right, it’d be less of a shock to them and the time around them.”

“Or it might not matter if the snap back theory is right,” said Isaac.

“Seriously, what is the point of him?” asked Stiles, sighing. “If we wait, it could only help us. If we do it now, it may hurt us. I think it’s obvious what to do.”

“Then we wait until tonight,” said Shawna, moving her gaze to Stiles. “I suggest you prepare. You’re only going to get one shot at this.”

“Yeah, I know,” replied Stiles. “I’ll be ready.”

Shawna simply nodded at him before turning to leave the room, Darius following shortly after her. Scott nodded to the rest of the pack, letting them know it was okay to relax until then. Everyone dispersed, breaking into their own groups for now. Derek and Jayce stayed behind.

“Let me help you get ready,” offered Jayce.

“And me,” said Derek. “I want to help. This is my family, my ancestors, on the line.”

“Derek, I appreciate the offer. Really, I do, but you don’t know much about runes, glyphs, and magic,” said Stiles.

“There’s nothing else I can do to help?” asked Derek

“Not with this, sorry,” replied Stiles.

Scott noticed that Derek deflated a bit at Stiles’ words. He just wanted to help and be useful to the pack, especially when it was his own family on the line.

“Derek, you’re not useless,” said Scott. “This just isn’t your thing. Honestly, it’s not even my thing. You’re important in other ways. Don’t forget that.”

Derek looked up at Scott, one of his rare smiles creeping across his face, and said, “Thanks, Scott. I know you two can do it. I’m counting on you.”

With that, Derek turned and left the library, running up the stairs to find Braeden and the others. Jayce turned to look at Scott and Stiles.

“I’m not a world druid, but I should still be able to help you out,” said Jayce. “So let’s get to it.”

Jayce spent the next several hours with Scott and Stiles. He studied the runes embedded into the glyphs and the text itself. Stiles already had the knowledge from the world tree, he just needed to draw it out and that was exactly what Jayce did. Jayce primed Stiles by explaining the importance and significance of certain key runes and aspects of the design, helping Stiles to recall the information he needed. By the end of it, Stiles knew exactly how to use the new glyph he had created with the book.

“I think that’s as good as we can really hope to get,” said Jayce, leaning back in his chair to stretch.

“I think we’re good,” agreed Stiles. “I feel like I’ve really got this.”

“All we have to do is wait a few more hours then,” said Scott. “We should join the others for a while.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” said Stiles.

The trio joined the pack upstairs to relax for a bit before they went to try and save Talia and Virgil. Darius surprised them with a home-cooked dinner. Surprisingly, he was an amazing cook. Everyone ate their fill of the delicious food. When they were done, they realized it was almost nine, the same time Talia and Virgil had started the binding ritual. Without any further delay, they headed for the Nemeton.

 


	5. Saving History

It didn’t take long for them to reach the Nemeton’s clearing. The blue bubble of runes, glyphs, and magical energy was still there, freezing Talia and Virgil in time. The scene appeared untouched; however, new cracks had begun to appear in the surrounding area. Time was running out.

“So how do we do this?” asked Malia.

“Well, the biggest problem was finding a way to write the runes and glyphs without unfreezing time,” answered Scott.

“But we figured out I can use my connection to the world tree and the Nemeton to make it easier,” continued Stiles. “Basically, I can follow my connection back into the frozen time zone and draw the runes. Once that’s done, I’ll unfreeze time and the spell should stop the crack from happening.”

“Are we sure it’s going to work?” asked Liam.

“Hmmm. Probably,” said Lydia, matter-of-factly.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lydia,” said Stiles.

“I’m not wrong,” said Lydia. “There’s always a chance it won’t work.”

“It will,” interjected Jayce. “I’ve analyzed the runes and glyphs. They’ll work.”

“Guess we’ll see, won’t we,” said Lydia, smirking at Jayce as she walked past him.

“It’s time,” said Shawna. “You should get started, Stiles.”

“Right,” nodded Stiles.

The rest of the pack hung back, waiting at the edge of the clearing, as Stiles approached the time bubble. He stopped just before the edge of the bubble where the central glyph of the spell was. Stiles closed his eyes and took a deep breath, gathering his own power and augmenting it with that of the world tree. He followed the connection back through to the Nemeton.

Stiles snapped his eyes open. They were glowing a bright, but deep forest green. He raised his right hand towards the bubble. He focused on the image of the glyphs and runes that comprised the spell he needed to cast. He willed it to follow his connection, using the Nemeton as a conduit to reach inside the frozen bubble of time.

It was hard and it took all of Stiles’ effort and focus, but it started to work. The golden hued runes and glyphs began to form directly in front of the crack the was forming inside of the bubble. Stiles felt a rush a relief seeing that his plan was working, but he didn’t let it distract him. He maintained his focus and finished placing the glyphs and runes. When he was done and they were all in place, Stiles lowered his hand, although his eyes continued to glow.

“It’s ready,” said Stiles.

“Then it’s time to unfreeze time,” said Allison.

“Yeah,” agreed Stiles. “Guess it’s now or never.”

Scott could smell the nervousness exuding from Stiles. On top of that, he could feel it through their connection. Scott stepped forward and placed his hand comfortingly on his best friend’s shoulder, flashing his own red eyes at him with a smile.

“It’ll work, Stiles,” said Scott. “I believe in you.”

Stiles smiled, his nervousness dissipating, and said, “Thanks, Scott. Let’s do this.”

Stiles turned his gaze back to the bubble. He waved his hand in front of the the central glyph and the spell dissipated almost instantly.

As soon as the spell dispersed, time resumed immediately. It seemed the press play theory had been correct. Everything seemed to move all at once. The spell that Stiles had placed in front of the crack activated immediately, radiating a golden light as the runes and glyphs worked their magic. The pale blue and white light that had been moving forward from both Talia and Virgil continued to move forward until they collided, becoming one powerful beam of light.

Stiles watched as his spell fought to contain and seal the crack. He heard his own heartbeat racing in his ears. Suddenly, with a flash of golden light, the crack receded back into nothingness and the runes and glyphs of Stiles’ spell dissolved into particles of golden light before finally fading from existence. Stiles breathed a sigh of relief as his eyes returned to their normal dark brown color. They were out of any immediate danger for now.

Matching glyphs appeared on both Talia’s and Virgil’s chests, directly over their hearts. The beam of light faded away, leaving only the glowing magic circle. After a moment, the magic circle’s light faded and the design itself dissipated, leaving no trace of it having ever been there. The glyphs on their chests continued to glow for a few more moments before vanishing as well.

“The ritual is complete,” said Virgil.

“Indeed. And it seems to have gone on without incident,” said Talia.

“I guess you didn’t notice then,” said Lydia as she and everyone else walked towards them from the edge of the clearing.

“What do you mean?” asked Virgil.

“Look around,” said Lydia, gesturing with her hand to the plethora of cracks and tears that littered the surrounding area.

“Why didn’t we notice this?” asked Talia.

“More importantly, why didn’t it affect the ritual?” added Virgil.

“Well, it sort of did,” responded Scott.

“One of the cracks started to open on top of you,” explained Stiles. “I froze time around you two and the Nemeton to buy us time to solve the problem, which I did, by the way.”

“How long were we frozen?” asked Talia.

“About a day,” replied Scott. “Stiles and I found a way to seal the crack before it expanded.”

“That would take a lot of skill and power,” mused Virgil. “Especially to place it in an area where time is frozen.”

“It did. And you’re welcome,” said Stiles.

Talia smiled slyly and said, “You really are full of surprises. If this is only the beginning, I can’t wait to see what else will come to Beacon Hills in time.”

“Talia…,” sighed Darius.

“We’ll be fine, Darius,” said Talia, waving her hand dismissively at him. “We’re a strong pack and we have an excellent emissary at our side.”

“As long as we’re all together,” said Darius.

“Of course we will be,” said Talia. “We’re a pack, a family. And I’ll need you by my side to help with all this.”

“I’ll always be by your side,” said Darius, smiling warmly at Talia as he took her hand in his.

“We still have to seal the rest of the tears,” said Jayce. “We fixed the major problem here, so sealing the minor tears should stabilize the timeline so we can move forward.”

“There’s a lot of tears though,” said Liam. “And only Stiles can seal them.”

“That’s not true actually,” said Scott. “I can, too.”

“Yeah, if we use the soul link, Scott should be able to use my druid powers to seal the tears,” agreed Stiles. “We’ll have to split up, but it’ll go faster.”

“The rest of us can look for new tears,” said Allison. “We still have some wards left.”

“That sounds good. We’ll meet back here when we’re all done,” said Scott. “Let’s go.”

Scott and Stiles activated their soul link and took off in opposite directions. The rest of the pack dispersed to try and track down the new tears that formed as a result of unfreezing time and Stiles’ spell.

Scott and Stiles remained in constant communication through their telepathic link, relaying information to each other quickly and easily. Scott found he was able to use the druidic powers with ease. He wasn’t as skillful as Stiles, but the soul link shared their knowledge and power. Scott was smart enough to extrapolate the rest.

It was a long and tiring process, but after several hours, Scott and Stiles had managed to close all of the tears including the new ones. Stiles couldn’t feel anymore of his wards, so he and Scott returned to the Nemeton’s clearing as quickly as they could. Everyone was waiting for them when they arrived and they deactivated their soul link.

“That should be all of them,” said Stiles. “I don’t sense anymore active wards.”

“We looked everywhere,” said Derek. “If there was another tear, we would have found it.”

“Well, if we fixed everything, then a portal should appear,” said Scott. “At least that’s what the world tree told us.”

“You didn’t need to do some kind of spell or ritual?” asked Kira.

“No,” answered Stiles. “It just said it would appear.”

“I don’t see a portal,” said Lydia.

“I’m sure it’ll appear soon,” said Jayce.

As if on queue, a blue portal materialized in front of the Nemeton, not far from where the pack was standing. It looked just like the portal that had been behind the door that they had opened when they started this journey. Everyone moved to look at the newly formed portal. Beyond it looked like the backstage area of a stage.

“This should be interesting,” said Scott.

“That doesn’t even look like Beacon Hills,” noted Derek.

“Guess we’ll find out soon, won’t we?” said Lydia.

“Yeah. We don’t have any time to waste,” said Scott.

Everyone started to step through the portal one at a time. Derek stepped through the portal, leaving only Scott and Stiles behind. Just as they were about to walk through it, Talia stopped them.

“Scott, Stiles, a moment please,” said Talia, her tone serious.

Scott and Stiles both stopped and turned to face her.

“What’s wrong?” asked Scott.

“In the future, is the Hale family dead? Save for Derek of course,” asked Talia.

Scott and Stiles both failed miserably at hiding their surprise. Scott knew that their spike in heart rate had already told her what she needed to know.

“If what you say is true about this time magic, then when you fix it, time will snap back and I won’t remember ever meeting you,” said Talia. “Telling me the truth won’t affect the timeline.”

Scott sighed, knowing it was pointless to try and argue.

“There was a fire,” began Scott. “A rogue Argent set the Hale house on fire, killing everyone inside.”

“Only Derek, his uncle, and two of his sisters survived,” added Stiles. “I think Derek and his sisters weren’t at the house during the fire, so I guess only his uncle really ‘survived’.”

“I see,” said Talia somberly. “So your pack has taken up where the Hale pack left off?”

“Sort of,” answered Scott. “It’s a bit complicated. I was bitten, not born.”

“Interesting. A true alpha that arose from a turned werewolf,” mused Talia. “You never cease to amaze me.”

“But you have to get going,” interrupted Darius. “Your friends are waiting and who knows how long that portal will stay open.”

“You’re right!” exclaimed Scott, his eyes opening wide for a moment.

“Go then,” said Talia, a calm smile on her face. “Thank you for your honesty, Scott. I wish you and your pack the best of luck. We’re all counting on you.”

“Thanks, Talia,” said Scott, returning her smile.

“Let’s go,” said Stiles.

“Right,” nodded Scott.

Scott and Stiles turned and leapt through the portal, leaving Talia and Darius behind them as the portal closed.

 


	6. Punk Rock And Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of the chapter may change at some point. Enjoy!

Something was different this time when they stepped through the portal. Scott and Stiles felt funny. It was brief, but it was almost like they were dissociated from their bodies. It felt almost exactly like when you feel like you’re falling and then you suddenly jerk back awake.

Scott and Stiles looked around the area. They were definitely backstage to something. They had no idea what, but they could hear a large crowd nearby. Almost like what you’d expect to hear at a concert. Then their eyes fell on each other and they were shocked.

Scott and Stiles were both wearing tank tops and ripped jeans. The tank tops had a symbol on it that Scott recognized from one of the doors, a triskele encircled by his symbol with a pair of drumsticks, a guitar, and a bass guitar respectively in each point of the triskele. But that wasn’t the weirdest part. Stiles had tattoos covering both of his arms and on his neck. Another tattoo on his chest peeked out from under the tank top. Both of them had pierced ears and Stiles had a lip piercing.

“I see you’re as confused as I am,” said Derek.

They both turned to look at Derek. He was wearing a black longsleeve shirt with the same logo as Scott and Stiles’ shirts and jeans. He didn’t seem to have any new tattoos, but his sleeves may have been covering them.

“What the hell is going on?” asked Stiles.

“Apparently, you three make up a punk rock band called Howl At The Moon. Scott plays guitar and vocals, Stiles is on drums, and Derek plays bass” said Allison as she entered the room, holding a stack of papers. Lydia was right behind here. They were both dressed in business suits.

“And apparently you three are about to open for blink-182,” said Lydia.

“We’re what?!” exclaimed Scott and Stiles in unison. They couldn’t believe that they’d be opening for their favorite band, no matter what timeline they were in.

Stiles quickly grabbed his necklace, checking the back of it. The beta symbol was glowing.

“Just as I thought,” said Stiles. “This is an alternate timeline. A beta one.”

“At least it’s not doomed,” said Scott. “But this is really weird. Why didn’t we all come through together like last time?”

“That’s probably because versions of ourselves already exist in this timeline,” suggested Lydia. “If there were two of us in the timeline, it’d create a paradox and that wouldn’t end well. So we were dropped into the bodies of ourselves in this timeline. That’s why you felt disoriented when you first arrived.”

“Wait, so we’re actually occupying a body that isn’t ours?” asked Scott.

“Hmmm. Yes and no,” mused Lydia. “It is your body, just not the alpha you. Think of it as you borrowing another version of yourself’s body for a little while.”

“That’s just creepy,” said Stiles.

Lydia shrugged and said, “It is what it is.”

“How’re we going to play though?” asked Derek. “I don’t think any of us know how to play an instrument, much less play as a band.”

“You came through after us so you probably haven’t realized it yet,” said Allison. “Give it a minute. The knowledge and memories you have from this timeline will come back to you.”

“Again, creepy,” said Stiles.

As soon as those words left Stiles’ mouth, it hit them. They were flooded with memories and knowledge. They could easily separate what was theirs from what was the beta them’s memories, but it was still a weird experience. They remembered all the band practice, all the songs, how to play their instruments, everything.

“That was awesome, but also really weird,” said Stiles.

“Yeah, but at least we know how to make it through this world now,” said Scott. “So, you two are our managers?”

“Apparently so,” said Lydia. “And we helped you land this gig.”

“I’m pretty sure their talent had something to do with it, too,” said Jayce as he entered the room.

He was wearing pretty much what he normally did, but he had a blazer on over his shirt. It made him look more professional somehow.

“Wait, why are you back here?” asked Scott. “I mean it makes sense for Allison and Lydia to be since their our managers, but what about you?”

Jayce and Lydia both blushed a little bit and looked at each other before looking back at Scott.

“Well, it seems I’m her boyfriend in this timeline,” replied Jayce.

Scott wondered just how far off that was from their own timeline. Stiles was about to say something, but he quickly forgot what he was going to say when he saw the three members of blink-182, Mark, Tom, and Travis, walking towards them.

“You three ready to play?” asked Tom.

“Uh… Yeah!” replied Stiles quickly.

“Don’t be nervous,” said Mark. “Your demo tape really impressed us. That’s why we came here to Beacon Hills.”

“You have a great sound and stage presence,” said Tom.

“Not to mention your drummer is sick,” added Travis.

“Thanks,” said Scott, a smile crossing his face. “That means a lot to us.”

“We were a lot like you when we started out,” said Tom. “Now go out there and show them how awesome you are.”

“We drew a big crowd with our name, but it’s up to you to make them remember you,” said Mark.

“You’ll be fine. Good luck, dudes,” said Travis.

With a wave, the three of them turned and left. Lydia looked down at one of the papers she was holding.

“Well, according to this, you go on in ten minutes,” said Lydia.

“Wow, no prep time?” said Stiles.

“I imagine your other selves had prep time,” retorted Lydia. “We just have to roll with it.”

“I bet I can use some of my druid powers to pull of some bad ass special effects,” suggested Stiles.

“Just be careful not to burn down the building,” cautioned Derek.

“I’m offended,” said Stiles. “I have perfect control over my skills, thank you.”

“Yeah, you do,” said Scott, laughing. “We’ll be fine. Let’s go put on a show.”

“Better get on stage before they come drag you out,” said Allison.

“Hold on a second,” said Stiles, looking over their instruments. “I’m gonna put some runes on these. Should make the sound better and probably make it look cool, too.”

“Just hurry up,” said Lydia.

Stiles wasted no time quickly imbuing their instruments with various runes. He added special runes to his drumsticks to let him cast various spells while he was playing. It was going to be one hell of a show. With Stiles’ work done, the trio hurried onto the stage and took their positions.

The lights queued up, dancing across the stage and eventually settling on Scott who was at the forefront of the stage. Some pyrotechnics went off at the far sides of the stage making Stiles roll his eyes. He could do better than that and he would.

“Heeeeeellllllooooooo, Beacon Hills!” shouted Scott into the microphone. “We are Howl At The Moon! Are you ready to rock?!”

The crowd erupted into cheers. Apparently in this timeline, they had made a pretty good name for themselves. Scott began to strum the first notes of their first song and Derek followed suit, adding the bass lines. The runes that Stiles had placed on their instruments activated as they began to play. Scott and Derek’s guitars became miniature light shows as the runes danced along their strings, changing color and the frequency of their flashes to match the music.

A smirk crossed Stiles face as he prepared to hit the drums for the first time. He had a great idea in mind, the runes already activating on his drumsticks in response to his thought. Stiles smashed his tom drums with his sticks. Immediately, two explosions happened directly in front of him. When he hit the bass drum for the first time, a rune shot off and exploded in midair over the crowd, much like a firework. The crowd cheered and Stiles smiled.

As the song picked up speed, the runes on the guitars began to shoot off and dance around in the air, creating a stunning midair light show. Each time Stiles hit a drum or cymbal, a different rune would activate, shooting off a stream of light, causing another explosion, or causing some other kind of pyrotechnics.

What impressed and surprised Stiles was Scott’s voice as he finally started singing. His voice was amazing. Stiles had his beta self’s memories of Scott singing, but it was nothing like hearing him in person. He never would’ve thought Scott was a great vocalist, but he definitely was. And Stiles was glad for it. Honestly, Stiles was having a lot of fun. Playing in a band with his best friend and Derek felt right and he knew Scott felt the same way. Scott was putting on quite the show after all.

Scott was having the time of his life, bouncing around the stage and generally projecting an amazing stage presence. He thought he’d have been terrified to perform in front of so many people, but he wasn’t. Scott felt comfortable and energized by the crowd. Besides, he had Stiles and Derek backing him. He also enjoyed the fact that he was awesome at playing the guitar AND singing. He could feel the surprise from Stiles and that made it all the better. He played a riff on his guitar that Stiles augmented with some magical pyrotechnics, whipping the crowd into an absolute frenzy

Derek watched Scott from his spot on the stage and couldn’t help but smile. Scott was happy and clearly having a blast. When he glanced over at Stiles, Derek saw that he was completely absorbed in his own drumming and creating special effects. It had been a long time since he’d had this much fun or felt this at ease, though he’d never openly admit that. Playing music as part of a band just seemed like a pipe dream. Derek had been sort of interested in music back in high school. After all, the girls loved a guy with a guitar. But after Paige died, he lost his appetite for music. After the fire that killed almost his entire family, he never picked it up or even thought about it again. And with the way things had been in his life since the fire, there was no way he’d have been able to do that. Nevertheless, this was fun and Derek truly enjoyed playing with the two guys he’d come to be such good friends with. Even if it was just for a little while, Derek decided he’d enjoy himself. Just this once.

Before they knew it, their hour long set was almost up. To them, it had just flown by. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, they felt the same way. All three of them were drenched with sweat, especially Sties who had been going all out on the drums and the magic, but they didn’t really feel tired at all.

“Alright, everyone! We’ve got time for one last song,” said Scott. “We owe a lot to blink-182 for giving us this opportunity and for coming all the way out to Beacon Hills. So, our last song is going to be a tribute to them. We’re going to cover our favorite blink-182 song, Feeling This. Enjoy!”

The crowd started shouting and cheering after Scott’s announcement. The trio started playing the first notes of the song and the crowd went wild. Everyone was bouncing and singing along as Scott started to sing. Derek, rather reluctantly, provided the backup vocals that this song called for. He was admittedly nervous about it, but a smile from Scott told him he was doing great. Honestly, Derek was surprised at how good his voice sounded. He definitely wasn’t strong enough for lead vocals, but he was perfect for what Feeling This called for.

Stiles nailed every note of the song with ease. Even in their timeline, he and Scott has listened to this song thousands of times easily on top of seeing it performed  live at multiple concerts. Yeah, Stiles knew he and Scott would pull of an epic cover of their favorite song. He decided to amp up the magical special effects a bit. After all, this was their last song. Go big or go home.

Scott really got into this song. He put everything into it. He was performing a cover of his favorite song with his best friend and Derek. This was pretty much a dream come true for him and he was going to give it his all. For a while, it was almost as if he’d forgotten the real reason they were here. Although, truth be told, all three of them had temporarily forgotten that and were just reveling in the moment, enjoying their brief respite.

Finally, they played the finale notes of Feeling This, marking the end of their set. As the last notes were played, Stiles activated every rune he could think of, setting off one of the most spectacular pyrotechnic and light shows anyone had ever seen. The cheering of the crowd was deafening and could even be heard over the explosions that Stiles was causing. Scott was absolutely beaming as was Stiles who had just stood up, holding his drumsticks straight up in the air. Derek found himself smiling as well.

“Thank you, Beacon Hills!” exclaimed Scott, pumping one fist in the air. “And good night!”

Stiles and Derek walked to the front of the stand next to Scott. They took a bow as the lights went out on the stage.

Stiles couldn’t resist the idea he had in mind. He reached into his pocket, removing a handful of powdered reagents and threw it into the air, focusing on the runes and glyphs that he needed. The powder began to glow and flew up into the air where it exploded, forming Howl At The Moon’s logo complete with the band’s name above it. The crowd lost it and their cheering and applause drowned out everything else.

Scott shook his head, but couldn’t help smiling. What Stiles did was probably a bit reckless, but it was awesome. He threw his arm around Stiles’ shoulder, not even caring that they were both still drenched in sweat, as they walked off the stage.

Allison, Lydia, and Jayce were waiting for them as they walked backstage.

“Don’t you think that was a little bit overboard, Stiles?” asked Lydia.

“What? I just made the show awesome,” said Stiles.

“It was a bit reckless, but it was amazing,” said Jayce.

“Not helping,” said Lydia.

“I have faith in Stiles’ ability to control his power,” shrugged Jayce.

“I guess you’re right,” sighed Lydia. “Everything was fine in the end.”

“That was a sick show!” said a familiar voice.

Everyone turned to look at the source. It was Travis. He had just walked into the room with Tom and Mark right behind him. They were about to go on for their set.

“Your drumming was amazing, especially on the Feeling This cover,” continued Travis.

“Yeah, you guys really did a good job with that cover, including the vocals,” said Mark.

“Your original work was great, too,” added Tom. “You guys are gonna go far. I can’t wait to see how you do.”

“Thanks, guys. We really appreciate it,” said Scott bashfully.

“Maybe we’ll play together again sometime,” said Tom as they walked toward the stage.

“That’d be great,” said Stiles.

“Guess we’ll have to see,” said Mark as the three members of blink-182 finally stepped out on to the stage to thunderous applause and cheering.

“Dude, I can’t believe we just opened for blink-182,” said Stiles.

“I know,” said Scott. “This timeline is awesome!”

“Don’t forget why we’re here though,” interjected Lydia. “We still have a job to do.”

“Right,” said Scott, suddenly sounding more serious. “Do you guys know where everyone else is?”

“Actually, I found them,” said Allison. “While you three were performing, I went looking for them. Apparently, we have the same numbers in this timeline as we do in ours, so I was able to text them. They all showed up for the concert today and should be backstage soon.”

“We gave their names to the bouncer,” added Lydia. “So there shouldn’t be any problem.”

As if on queue, Liam, Kira, Isaac, Malia, and Braeden rounded the corner and approached them.

“Scott! I didn’t know you could play or sing like that!” said Liam, looking awestruck.

“Neither did I,” agreed Isaac. “Impressive.”

“Stiles was really great, too!” added Malia.

“They were all great,” said Kira with a smile. “Who knew you three were secretly rock stars?”

“Thanks,” said Scott sheepishly.

Stiles was beaming at the praise while Derek looked embarrassed, especially since Braeden was giving him looks with a really sly smile. She walked up to him.

“You looked really great out there,” said Braeden. “You didn’t tell me you could play.”

“I haven’t in a long time,” admitted Derek. “I think the only reason we were so good is because ourselves from this timeline practiced a lot.”

“Hmm. Maybe so,” mused Braeden. “But you still looked great doing it.”

Without warning, Braeden stole a quick kiss on the lips from Derek, winked at him, and joined the others.

“Well, now that the concert is out of the way, we need to figure out what we have to do here,” said Jayce.

“Jayce is right,” said Scott. “The concert was fun, but we can’t let ourselves be distracted for too long.”

“So what’s our next move?” asked Allison.

“We should try to find any tears that exist here already,” said Stiles. “If there aren’t any yet, we need to figure out when and where they’ll appear.”

“Guys, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” said Kira.

“What is it, Kira?” asked Scott.

“Back when all those tears appeared in the other timeline, I thought I saw something,” said Kira.

“What was it?” asked Stiles.

“I don’t know,” replied Kira. “I only saw it out of the corner of my eye and it might’ve been nothing, but it looked like a black figure. And I felt something weird. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I felt something.”

“Maybe it’s whoever is causing all this,” suggested Braeden.

“Yeah, there’s a good chance it is,” agreed Scott.

“We’ll keep an eye out for it then,” said Derek. “It might appear again.”

“So what do we do now?” asked Liam.

“Why don’t we enjoy the show?” suggested Malia who was doing her best to contain herself as she heard blink-182 start their show. “We never get time to relax and how often are we going to get the chance to have VIP access to a concert?”

“She makes a compelling argument,” said Stiles, smiling slyly.

“It might not be a bad idea,” said Braeden. “You guys do a hell of a lot. You’re still kids though. Take a breather and have some fun. We’ll worry about finding the problem tomorrow.”

Malia lit up and said, “Yeah! Let’s go then!”

Everyone else sort of shrugged. They really couldn’t argue with those points. It wouldn’t kill them to have some fun and relax for once. The pack took a side exit that lead to the VIP area of the floor seating which was directly in front of the band. They made it out in time for the start of the second song. Before they knew it, everyone was bouncing and dancing along with the crowd as they sang along with the band.

* * *

A dark figure watched them discuss the situation from the shadows backstage. He was shrouded by a hooded robe. Darkness billowed out from under the robes, further concealing him in the shadows. Once the pack had left, he stepped out from the shadows, the darkness spilling from his robes now floating behind and around him like an aura. He smirked. They thought they could relax. They thought he would wait for them. They were foolish. But maybe he would let them have their glimmer of hope, their one little reprieve. He could crush it later if he wanted.

He strode around the backstage area, the darkness still trailing behind him. The loud music and the chaos of the crowd was refreshing to him. Yes, it gave him strength. He could be patient when he needed to be, after all, that’s how he gained the power to manipulate time. And the world tree from the alpha timeline had decided to make this a game. He did enjoy games, especially when he was at an advantage. Yes, he would toy with them a while longer. String them along and test them. See how far he could push them before he crushed them at the end.

He had been most impressed by this world druid. He had been worried that his opening move might have been too much for them, but the world druid was able to buy time until he could actually counter him. He really shouldn’t have expected anything less. He had more ideas about how to go about testing them and undoing time, but why go all out in the beginning? No, it wouldn’t do to waste his best moves early on. It would be far better to slowly lead them where he wanted them to go.

An evil smile crossed his face as a terrible idea came to him. It was perfect. He wondered if it would be too much, but he decided it was worth the risk. Yes, he would lead them there next. It was time to make preparations. This move wouldn’t be as powerful as his last. After all, it was just setting the stage for what was to come, a positioning move. He walked back towards the shadows, disappearing into them.

 


	7. Shattered

After blink-182 finished their last song of the show, the pack quickly went back through the door that they had used to get onto the floor. Scott, Stiles, and Derek introduced the rest of the pack to the members of blink-182. Everyone was able to keep themselves from freaking out, even Malia, although her exuberance was still there. After a few minutes, blink-182’s manager appeared and said they needed to go. With a hasty goodbye, the band members followed their manager out the door.

“That was awesome!” said Malia, still giddy from the show and meeting the band.

“Yeah, it was fun,” agreed Liam who looked like he was trying to contain his excitement and look cool, but his enormous grin betrayed him.

“It’s getting late,” interjected Lydia, examining some papers on her clipboard. “According to this itinerary, Scott and Stiles are supposed to go to Scott’s house after the show. Apparently that’s been a thing since the band started.”

“You shouldn’t sound so surprised,” said Allison, a small smile crossing her face.

Lydia rolled her eyes and continued, “Anyway, Derek usually goes as well, but it seemed he had plans with his girlfriend after the show. Conveniently, Braeden is also his girlfriend in this timeline.”

Derek and Braeden shared a quick smile before turning their eyes back to Lydia who was pretending to ignore them.

“I don’t have plans for everyone else since you’re not part of the band, but you have the memories of your beta selves, so you should be able to do just fine,” said Lydia. “I think we should all rest up and meet back up tomorrow.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” agreed Scott. “We’ll meet at Derek’s loft for nine tomorrow morning so we can get started.”

“That’s so early,” protested Stiles.

“Stiles, we wake up earlier than that every day for school,” sighed Scott. “Besides, we lost enough time at the concert.”

“Yeah I know,” said Stiles, sounding slightly defeated.

“We have transport ready for you three. They’ll take you where you need to go,” said Allison. “And I guess Lydia and I can help everyone else get back to where they need to go.”

With that settled, the pack walked out the back exit. There were three mini limos waiting for outside. Scott and Stiles climbed into the first while Derek and Braeden got into the second one. Scott looked out the window and saw Lydia and Allison trying to fit everyone into their limo while the driver stood there looking rather displeased. Moments later, Scott and Stiles’ limo began to move followed shortly by Derek and Braeden’s limo.

* * *

When Derek’s limo pulled up to his building, he and Braeden got out and waved goodbye to the driver. Fortunately, the other Derek had a plan for what he was going to do for Braeden tonight, so that made figuring out what to do easier. They climbed the stairs to his loft and stepped inside.

Derek immediately went to the kitchen and retrieved a few things from the refrigerator and pantry, turning on the oven as he walked by it.

Derek set a pair of steaks that had been marinating all day in an aluminum pan on the table. It wasn’t time to cook them yet. He moved on to the potatoes, cutting two of them into halves. He quickly prepared the stuffed potatoes, filling them with butter, cheese, bacon, and chives until they were nearly overflowing. Once they were ready, he placed them on a baking sheet and slid them into the bottom oven.

Derek went back to the fridge and removed a bowl of red velvet cake batter. Red velvet batter took time to prepare, so his beta self had made it ahead of time so that he could just pour it into the pan and bake it. His beta self had even prepared the icing for the cake. Derek was so thankful for his beta self’s cooking skills that were getting him through this as he put the cake pan in the top oven.

Maybe he should look into learning how to cook better in his timeline. Braeden was smiling at him, clearly enjoying watching him cook from her vantage point on the couch. Derek could get used to that.

With everything in the oven, it was time to start on the steaks. He flicked the stove on and grabbed a large frying pan. As he let the frying pan heat up, Derek grabbed some other spices from the pantry and sprinkled them over the steaks. When he was done, he dropped the steaks into the frying pan.

Derek knew they both liked their steaks medium-rare. With near expert timing, Derek flipped the steaks to their other side. He’d allowed them to cook just enough so he shouldn’t need to flip them again. That was the trick to cooking a perfect steak after all. After a little more time had passed, Derek removed the frying pan from the stove and slid each of the steaks onto their own plates.

As he was doing this, the oven’s timer dinged. The potatoes and cake were ready. Derek checked the potatoes. They had been cooked to perfection. He quickly took them out of the oven and placed two halves on each plate. Derek put a dollop of sour cream on each of the halves for the perfect finishing touch

He returned to the oven to check on the cake. He took a toothpick and stuck it into the center of the cake before quickly removing it. Nothing came out on the toothpick. The cake was ready. He removed it from the oven and set it on the counter to cool so that he could ice it later.

Derek grabbed two knives, two forks, and the two plates on his way to the table where Braden was now waiting for him. He put one of the plates in front of her and set a knife and fork next to it before placing the other directly across from her.

Derek felt like he was forgetting something. After a few moments, it hit him. The wine. Derek walked back to the kitchen and removed a bottle of cabernet sauvignon. He quickly uncorked it and poured two full glasses of wine before returning to the table, placing on in front of Braeden and one in front of himself.

“I didn’t realize you were such a good cook. Or a romantic,” teased Braeden, tilting her glass of wine before taking a sip.

“Well, the other me kind of set this all up and was the one who knew how to cook,” said Derek, a little flustered.

Braeden smiled and reached across the table to take his hand as she said, “Derek, you did this. You. Not some other version of you. And it’s really nice.”

“Thanks,” said Derek, blushing a little bit at the praise.

They both dug into their steaks. The looks on Braeden’s face was almost priceless, but Derek was sure his was pretty similar. This was probably the best steak Derek had ever tasted in his life. From the look on Braeden’s face, the same was true for her.

“This is really amazing!” said Braeden. “You really are a good cook.”

“We’ll see how good I am when we get back to our own timeline,” said Derek modestly.

“Is that you’re way of saying we’ll be doing this again?” asked Braeden, raising an eyebrow.

“Maybe,” replied Derek playfully.

Braeden just laughed and they continued with their meal, enjoying the wine as they did.

When they had finished, Derek returned to the kitchen to ice the red velvet cake. It only took him a few minutes to completely ice the cake. He cut a piece for each of them and rejoined Braeden at the table.

Braeden was excited about the cake. It was her favorite and it had been quite some time since she’d last had any. She took a bite and was greeted by one of the best tasting red velvet cakes she had ever had. It was incredibly moist and soft. She really was going to have to convince Derek to cook more often. If he could do it in one timeline, he could do it in another.

Derek and Braeden worked together to wash all of the dishes, enjoying one last glass of wine as they did. After washing their glasses, they went upstairs to Derek’s bedroom where they promptly stripped down to their underwear before climbing into the bed. For a little while, they lay there, cuddling each other on the bed. It was nice. After several minutes, Braeden propped her head up on her hand and looked at Derek.

“You know, I was away from you for a while on that last job,” said Braeden. “We’re actually alone for once and I’m not feeling tired just yet.”

Braeden leaned down and kissed Derek on the lips, running her hand down his chest.

Braeden was right. It had been a while since they had last been alone together. Derek smiled into the kiss. He definitely had no objections to ending the night like this.

* * *

It didn’t take long to arrive at Scott’s house. The two of them got out of the limo, thanked the driver, and went inside. Melissa was waiting for them. She smiled when she saw them walk through the door.

“There’s my boys!” Melissa said with her usual warm tone. “How’d the show go?”

“It was amazing,” said Scott.

“We had a blast and got to hang out with the guys from blink-182,” added Stiles.

“That’s great. I’m glad it went well. Listen, I know it’s late and you two are probably starving, but I didn’t have time to cook,” said Melissa. “You two may be on your way to stardom, but I’m still a very overworked nurse.  I did get your favorite Chinese food though.”

“Thanks, Mom!” said Scott, a huge smile crossing his face as he gave her a big hug. “You’re the best.”

“Thanks, Mrs. McCall!” said Stiles, echoing his best friend. “I’m starving.”

“You’re welcome, boys,” said Melissa, glancing down at her watch. “I’ve got to get going though. My shift starts soon. I’ll see you boys in the morning. Try and get some sleep, okay?”

“We will,” promised Scott.

With a nod, Melissa was out the door. A second later, they heard her car backing out of the driveaway. Scott and Stiles found the food waiting for them in the kitchen. After quickly devouring it, they went upstairs to shower and change from the concert. Once they were done, they passed out on Scott’s bed.

Fortunately, Scott had remembered to set an alarm for in the morning. He woke up immediately to it and then started trying to rouse Stiles. Stiles did not want to wake up though and would only respond to Scott’s efforts with grunts and whines.

Scott sighed. They didn’t have time for this. Seeing no other way to quickly wake up his best friend, Scott put both his hands on Stiles’ back and shoved him off the bed. Stiles hit the floor with a loud thump followed immediately by string of expletives and lots of flailing. Scott couldn’t help but laugh.

“Alright, I get it! I’m up!” said Stiles in defeat. “But don’t you think pushing me onto the floor was a little much though?”

Scott shrugged and said, “We’re in a hurry and you wouldn’t get up.”

“For the record, I was against waking up this early.”

“Yeah, I know. It doesn’t change the fact that we need to be to Derek’s pretty soon.”

“Fine, let’s go then.”

The rest of the pack seemed to arrive at the same time as Scott and Stiles. They all climbed the stairs to Derek’s loft together. When they slid the door open, Derek and Braeden were waiting for them.

“Have you felt anything?” asked Derek.

“No, nothing,” answered Stiles. “I haven’t seen anything either.”

“It’s weird,” added Scott. “Everything seems normal and stable here.”

“We know that can’t be the case though,” objected Jayce. “Each timeline we visit has been damaged in someway.”

“Right,” agreed Lydia. “We just haven’t found it yet.”

“What’s strange is the way the world tree made it sound was that the timelines were already damaged and falling apart,” said Stiles. “So far we seem to be arriving before the damage.”

“What if that’s intentional,” suggested Derek. “The world tree is sending you back before the damage happens so you can either stop it or fix it faster.”

“Yeah, that would make sense,” said Stiles. “But that leaves another question.”

“Who or what is causing this and how can we stop them?” continued Scott.

“What about the thing Kira said she saw?” asked Liam.

“I’m not even sure I actually saw something,” said Kira. “It was more of a feeling than anything.”

“The feelings of supernatural creatures are usually right,” said Lydia. “Trust me. I know.”

“Lydia’s right,” said Derek. “If you felt something, it’s probably because something was there and it’s important.”

“How do we find something if we don’t know what it looks like?” asked Isaac.

“We’ll just have to try and get a better look at it next time we see it,” replied Scott.

“Is there anything we can do preemptively?” asked Allison.

“Not that I can think of,” answered Stiles. “Every ward I’ve used to try and stop it ends up breaking. Whatever we’re dealing with, it’s powerful.”

The room broke into discussion about what to do and who they could be dealing with. Scott suddenly felt the hair on the back of his neck bristle. He was suddenly on high alert. He looked at Kira who met his gaze. Her eyes were glowing orange. He knew she felt it, too. Stiles had gone silent, sensing the alarm coming from his best friend. Scott turned to look around the room when he saw the faint outline of a figure in the shadows of the room. A sense of dread and uneasiness immediately flooded Scott.

The room fell silent as everyone picked up on Scott’s uneasiness. The figure stepped out of the shadows and walked towards them. His face was hidden by the hood of his black robe. As he left the shadows, the darkness seemed to come with him. It took the pack a moment to realize that the darkness was actually pouring out from under the figure’s robes.

“That’s him,” said Kira. “That’s who I saw.”

“Let’s stop him!” declared Stiles, already calling runes and glyphs to mind.

Isaac and Derek both shifted and began to move towards the figure. Scott had a bad feeling about this.

“Wait!” shouted Scott.

The figure raised his right hand and blue energy engulfed it. It was the same color as the portals they had been passing through. The darkness ran down the figure’s arm, mixing with the blue energy. A shockwave passed through the room, emanating from the ball of energy and darkness. It sent Derek and Isaac flying backwards. At the same time, a sound like shattering glass filled the air.

Cracks appeared everywhere in Derek’s loft. They completely covered the walls, ceiling, doors, and windows of the loft, blocking all possible exits. Others popped up in various spaces around the loft. Scott and Braeden helped Derek and Isaac back to their feet. Scott looked back at the cloaked figure just in time to see him vanish into the shadows.

Scott checked and made sure everyone was okay. When he was sure they were, he took another look around the area. The cracks covered every inch of the ceiling, doors, and walls. There was no way out. They were trapped.

 


	8. Slip Through The Confusion; Find A Solution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title subject to change in the future. Sorry, I know that's the second chapter I've said that about. I've just been a little unsure on the chapter names. Enjoy!

“Well, that’s definitely not good,” said Kira.

“Yeah, you think?” retorted Stiles, the sarcasm in his voice almost toxic.

“Well, it can’t be any worse right?” said Derek.

As if they had been waiting for Derek to say something, the cracks multiplied, moving closer to them as new ones appeared randomly throughout the loft.

“You just had to say something,” sighed Stiles.

“I’m pretty sure it’s not his fault, Stiles,” said Scott.

“Yeah, I know, but the timing is just so bad.”

“Either way we need to figure out what to do,” said Jayce.

“Apparently the cracks are going to keep multiplying,” said Lydia. “Meaning we don’t have unlimited time.”

“But we don’t know how fast they’re going to multiply,” pointed out Allison.

The cracks multiplied again, inching closer to the pack.

“Looks like they’re going with really fast,” said Isaac.

“Stiles, why don’t you try sealing some of them,” suggested Lydia. “If you can clear away the ones by the door, maybe we can at least escape.”

“Yeah, that sounds like good idea. I’ll give it a shot,” said Stiles.

Stiles approached the wall of cracks the covered the door to the loft. It was only a few layers thick, so he figured it wouldn’t be too hard to clear a path to the door. Stiles called the runes and glyphs he needed into his mind, forming them into one image to cast his spell as he raised his hand towards the first crack. The runes and glyphs began to form in front of him, taking on the shape and pattern that he desired. With them fully assembled, Stiles began to cast the spell.

The spell appeared to be working as the runes and glyphs that Stiles had conjured worked their magic. The crack began to shrink until it was completely gone. Stiles was about to move on to the next crack when everything went wrong.

The sound of shattering glass filled the air once more. Dozens of new cracks ripped open all over the loft. The wall of cracks lurched forward several feet, generating several layers of new cracks, forcing Stiles to scramble backwards. Stiles tripped and fell on his butt, flailing. Scott quickly grabbed him and dragged him back just in time to avoid the cracks.

“Alright, new plan. Don’t seal the cracks,” panted Stiles, trying to recover from nearly being wiped from all of time and space.

“We have to try something,” said Liam.

“Yeah, well clearly that isn’t it,” retorted Stiles.

“I don’t understand,” said Jayce. “Those runes and glyphs should contain and undo the time magic. It even looked like it did. So why did this happen?”

“They must be linked,” stated Lydia. “It’s the only explanation. The cracks are all linked somehow. When you take one out, the rest respond violently.”

“So we need to take them out all at once,” said Scott. “But how?”

“I have no idea,” said Stiles. “Even if I could come up with the best runes and glyphs for it, that spell would require a lot of power and, honestly, sealing one crack by itself is pretty challenging to me.”

“We have to try,” Scott said simply.

Stiles sighed. He couldn’t disagree with Scott. Something about his eternal optimism made it impossible.

“Yeah,” said Stiles quietly.

“So how do you go about doing it?” asked Braeden. “Do you use the same runes and stuff?”

“I don’t know,” said Stiles. “I mean, I could try to use them on a bigger scale, but they might not work when scaled up so much.”

“It’s worth a try,” said Jayce. “If it fails, I’m sure we can find another way.”

“Believe in yourself, Stiles,” said Scott as he flashed him a reassuring smile. “You’ve got this.”

Stiles nodded and then closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts and power. He’d never cast a spell with this wide of a radius before and certainly not one as demanding as time magic. Stiles took a deep breath and let it out as the images formed in his mind’s eye.

He snapped his eyes open, now glowing the forest green of the world druid. The runes and glyphs began to etch themselves into existence, spanning the entirety of the loft’s floor. Once they were fully formed and ready, Stiles raised his right hand out at shoulder length, casting the spell.

The runes and glyphs began to glow and spin and glow in response to Stiles’ will. Stiles focused all the energy he had into the spell. He drew on the power of the world tree. Even across different timelines, he could still feel himself tethered to it. He felt the runes begin to work. Maybe his effort was actually going to be enough. Feeling encouraged, he redoubled his efforts and it looked like the cracks were beginning to shrink.

Suddenly, the runes and glyphs shattered, sending a wave of magical energy through the room as they dissipated. Stiles felt all of his energy and power leave him as it happened. The failed spell had taken an immense amount of power and its failure drained him. He collapsed to his knees as the brilliant glow of his eyes faded, replaced by their usual deep brown.

Scott was by his side instantly, his hand on Stiles’ shoulder.

“Stiles!” said Scott, his voice and face full of concern. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“I… Don’t know…” replied Stiles, his voice low and weak. “I guess I wasn’t strong enough.”

“It’s possible the runes and glyphs you won’t cut it for this big of a spell,” suggested Jayce. “Scaling them up won’t necessarily make them work.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” sighed Stiles, sounding a bit defeated. “I’m out of energy. I don’t think I could make a spark, much less seal a room of rips in time.”

“You can’t give up now, Stiles,” said Lydia. “You have to keep trying.”

“I agree with Lydia,” said Malia. “You can do this. You just have to keep trying.”

“Stiles, if you’re weak and out of energy, I’ll be your strength,” said Scott, his eyes flashing red. “We’re connected, remember? My power is yours, too. Let me help you.”

Stiles looked up at his best friend with a small smile on his face and said, “Thanks, Scott. Yeah. We can do this.”

“We just need to figure out the right runes and glyphs,” said Jayce.

“You should rest for a bit first, Stiles,” said Scott, still worried about his best friend.

As he said that, the cracks in the loft multiplied again, closing in around the pack.

“I don’t think I have that luxury,” said Stiles.

“Rest, Stiles,” said Scott firmly, a tone he rarely used. Stiles knew arguing would be useless.

“He’s right, Stiles. You need to recoup at least some of your energy,” agreed Jayce. “I can try to think of some better runes and glyphs while you’re doing that.”

“Yeah. Thanks, guys,” said Stiles.

Stiles was thankful for the chance to rest for a minute. He felt drained in every sense of the word. He let Scott guide him to the couch where they both sat down. Scott kept his arm around Stiles’ shoulders. He could feel Scott’s warmth and his energy. It flowed into him through their bond. He could also feel the deep concern that Scott still felt for him.

_Hey, Scotty. I’ll be fine. I just need a little rest._

_Stiles, I know how much it drained you. I felt it, too._

_Magic has its cons and its price. Really, you don’t need to worry. I’ll be fine. And next time I’ll be using your strength, too. Come on, Scott. You should know by now nothing can stop us when we’re working together._

_Yeah, I guess you’re right._

Stiles felt Scott relax, both physically and emotionally. He didn’t let go of Stiles, but he did feel better. That was enough for Stiles. They just sat there resting for a while longer.

The cracks multiplied a few times more as they rested. Their multiplications were becoming more frequent. It seemed they were running out of time. Jayce walked over to Scott and Stiles, handing Stiles a notebook with many runes and glyphs drawn on its pages.

“Sorry, but I think we’re out of time,” said Jayce. “This is the best I could come up with. Think you can piece together something that could work?”

“Yeah, I think so,” replied Stiles, looking over the pages. “I think I can use the original design as a base and use some of these in place of other runes or glyphs.”

“Don’t use it until you’re sure. We might not get another shot,” reminded Lydia who had walked up behind them.

“I’ll be sure. I can do this,” said Stiles.

“It’s like I told you, Stiles. You’re the one who always figures it out,” said Lydia with a small smile before walking away to rejoin the others.

Stiles looked back down at the notebook, flipping through the pages. Stiles had to admit Jayce really was knowledgeable about runes and glyphs. He’d come up with so much in such a short time. Given not all of it would work or be useful, but that was beside the point. Stiles began to piece the new spell together in his head.

Scott smiled as he watched the gears turn inside Stiles’ head. He could feel Stiles thinking his way through everything and could even hear some of this thoughts even though he wasn’t intentionally projecting them. He enjoyed watching his best friend work like that. It was actually kind of inspiring. He knew Stiles would find the right solution. He’d be ready to give him the strength he needed to complete the spell.

While Stiles was working, the cracks continued to multiply, further encroaching on the pack. But he had it. He’s come up with the best combination of glyphs and runes to seal the cracks at once. The only problem was it was going to make casting the previous spell look like a joke. If he botched this, then everyone would die. He walked towards the center of the room.

Scott could smell the anxiety exuding from Stiles. Though he didn’t really need to since he could pretty much feel it first hand. Scott placed his hand on Stiles’ shoulder reassuringly. He felt the tension in Stiles lessen immediately.

Stiles smiled at the gesture from Scott. He wasn’t alone. He and Scott could do this. He wouldn’t want anyone else by his side at a time like this. Stiles took a deep breath and readied himself.

Scott moved to stand back to back with Stiles.

“Ready?” asked Scott.

“As I’ll ever be,” answered Stiles. “Let’s do this.”

Runic tattoos began to trace themselves along Scott and Stiles’ bodies as they activated their soul link. Stiles felt Scott’s strength flow into him, merging with and becoming his own. He realized he was able to draw on the world tree’s power more easily as well. Benefits of working together. Stiles took one more deep breath, gathering his thoughts and power, and then began to cast his spell.

The runes and glyphs began to materialize on the floor below them, covering the entirety of the loft once more. They began to glow as Stiles’ power flowed into them, empowering them. The loft began to shake. The rest of the pack looked around in concern, but Scott and Stiles remained perfectly still. They knew it was going to be alright. This was just the side effect of powerful magic fighting powerful magic.

Stiles could tell his spell was working. The cracks were shrinking. He didn’t let himself relax yet though. He still had a long way to go. Stiles maintained his focus and continued to draw as much power as he could from both Scott and the world tree. He hoped it would be enough.

With one final burst, all of the crack throughout the loft closed, vanishing as if they had never been there. Their job complete, the runes and glyphs dissipated, breaking into particles of light that shortly disappeared. They had done it.

Scott and Stiles ended their soul link as the others came up to them.

“I knew you could do it,” said Malia.

“Yeah, just needed a little help to figure it out,” said Stiles. “And to pull it off.”

“We’re a pack. We work together. Especially us,” said Scott.

“And it looks like that did it for this timeline,” said Derek, pointing to a spot behind Scott and Stiles.

Scott and Stiles turned around to see that a portal had formed behind them. It signified that this timeline was stable again, so their job was done. They were one step closer to finding the source of the problem.

“Everyone ready?” asked Scott.

Everyone uttered their consent. Scott nodded in acknowledgement and turned to face the portal again. One by one the pack walked through the portal and into their next timeline.

* * *

The shadowy figure watched the pack cross through the portal from his position in the shadows. He’d been there the whole time, watching the pack struggle to find a solution. He frowned. He didn’t think this was a particularly difficult challenge, yet it had proven to be for them. Perhaps he had overestimated them.

Well, no matter. The stage was already set and they were going exactly where he wanted them, like leading lambs to a slaughter. He smiled malevolently at the thought. It was going to be great. The best part was he wasn’t going to have to do anything. The next timeline might very well rip them apart on its own without his interference. It would be fun to watch the chaos that ensued.

Best not delay any longer. He didn’t want to miss any of the show. He waved his hand and vanished in a plume of black and blue energy.

 


	9. Alive And Well

Scott and Stiles felt the same sort of dissociation as the last time they hopped timelines. They shook it off a moment later. The two of them were sitting in Stiles’s Jeep in the parking lot of the local grocery store. There were a few bags in the backseat. Scott and Stiles exchanged a confused look, as their parents always did the grocery shopping, not them.

Stiles’ phone alerted him to a new text message from his dad.

“Stiles, hurry and get the last few things we need. Hurry back. People will be getting here soon,” it said.

“Alright, well, I have no idea what’s going on, but at least we got whatever we were supposed to,” said Stiles, still staring at the text message.

“It sounds like your dad is throwing some kind of party,” said Scott.

“Dad’s not exactly the kind of guy to throw a party.”

“Well, maybe it’s something for the department. Like an awards thing or something.”

“Maybe. Still weird. But I guess we better check it out.”

Stiles threw his Jeep into gear and they took off for his house.

* * *

Lydia shook her head, quickly dispelling the weird feeling of shifting timelines and borrowing another version of herself’s body. She took a look around and realized that she was standing at the entrance to Derek’s loft and the rest of the pack was inside. They all shared the same dazed and confused look as they readjusted to their new surroundings.

Something felt wrong to Lydia. She couldn’t figure it out at first. Something just felt off, as if something that should be there wasn’t. Worry flooded her for a moment and then she realized what it was. It was quiet. She couldn’t hear the voices.

Allison must have noticed the panicked look on her face because she was by her side in an instant, hiding her away from the others who were finally getting their bearings.

“What’s wrong, Lydia?” asked Allison.

“It’s quiet,” answered Lydia.

“Well, yeah. There’s nothing else happening here. It should be quiet.”

“That’s not what I mean. I mean it’s quiet for me. I can’t hear them. The voices. The other banshees. They’re gone.”

“What?” asked Allison, sounding as confused as she was.

“I don’t know,” said Lydia. “But they’re gone. Not even a whisper. It hasn’t been this quiet since before I woke up in the hospital that night.”

“What do you think happened?”

“I don’t know. It could be something weird about time traveling and universe hopping, but so far the voices had just been getting louder.”

“Maybe it’s nothing.”

“Maybe so. But it’s still weird.”

“Hey, just enjoy the brief moment of silence.”

“You know, you’re right. Thanks, Allison.”

Lydia flashed a sincere smile at Allison. She really did feel better after talking to her about it. Still, she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was wrong. There was nothing she could do about it for now though. She’d simply have to wait and see what this timeline had in store for them.

Isaac walked up to them.

“So, apparently we’re all supposed to be going to Stiles’ house for something,” said Isaac.

“For what?” asked Allison.

“No idea. That memory didn’t really come back to me,” answered Isaac. “I just know we were all meeting up here to head over.”

“Great. So as usual, no one knows anything,” said Lydia.

“Hey, I’m just as clueless as you,” shrugged Isaac. “Just trying to help.”

“It’s fine, Isaac,” said Allison. “That’s more than we knew before.”

“We should probably get going,” said Derek, walking up with the rest of the pack.

“Yeah, we’re supposed to be there soon,” added Kira.

The group quickly departed for Stiles’ house. Fortunately, this timeline’s Allison had brought her family’s SUV, letting her transport most of the pack in one car. The rest rode with Derek.

* * *

Scott and Stiles pulled in the driveway and unloaded the few bags that they had in the Jeep. When they set the bags on the table, they finally got to see what was inside of them. Happy Birthday plates and napkins, plastic utensils, chips, dip, and some soft drinks. Scott and Stiles shared a confused look as the sheriff walked into the kitchen.

“Good, you boys are finally here,” said the sheriff with an excited smile that Stiles hadn’t seen in many years. “We need to finish setting up.”

The sheriff grabbed the plates, napkins, and utensils before running out of the kitchen again, leaving Scott and Stiles more confused than ever.

“So, I guess we’re throwing a birthday party?” said Scott, still dumbfounded.

“Yeah, but for who?” asked Stiles in equal confusion.

“I thought you’d know.”

“Yeah, well, for some reason that memory didn’t come back to me when we came to this timeline.”

“I wonder why.”

“Who knows? Magic is weird and confusing sometimes.”

“I guess we should just set up and wing it then.”

“Sounds as good a plan as any.”

Scott and Stiles emptied the bags and started setting up the food. As they were finishing, the doorbell rang. The sheriff answered it, revealing the rest of the pack.

“Ah, good! You’re all here!” said the sheriff. “Come in! Come in! Scott and Stiles are finishing up in the kitchen.”

Then the sheriff was gone again. The pack exchanged confused looks as none of them had ever seen the rather serious Sheriff Stilinski look so excited or happy. They shrugged it off and went to the kitchen to see Scott and Stiles.

“Stiles, doesn’t your dad seem a bit off?” asked Lydia.

“Yeah, I have no idea what’s up with him,” replied Stiles.

“Maybe he’s just happier in this timeline,” suggested Malia.

“I wonder if he knows about the supernatural,” mused Braeden. “After all, all of you are here and he seems to know you.”

“That’s a good question,” said Scott. “We don’t know anything about this timeline yet. I don’t know about the rest of you, but Stiles and I are having problems with the memories from our other selves. They seem messed up for some reason.”

“Yeah, it’s the same for us actually,” said Derek.

“That’s definitely weird,” said Kira.

“I guess we’ll just have to ask about later,” said Liam.

Scott looked up at the sound a another car pulling into the driveway followed by a familiar voice. It was his mom. He heard the sheriff answer the door and let her in. The two of them came back in the kitchen together.

“Wow, this looks great,” said Melissa.

“Yeah, we really put a lot into it,” said the sheriff. “We owe that to Stiles.”

“You what now?” asked Stiles confused.

“Don’t be modest, Stiles,” said the sheriff, patting his son on the back. “You’ve been planning the birthday party for months now.”

“Yeah, but who’s birthday?”

“Son, don’t you remember your own mother’s birthday?”

Right as those words left the sheriff’s mouth, the kitchen door swung open and someone whom Stiles never thought he’d see again walked through the door. It was his mom, Claudia Stilinski, with a huge, warm smile on her face, her beautiful long hair flowing behind her as she walked.

Scott swore he heard Stiles’ heart skip a beat. Then again, it may have been his own.

Derek, Isaac, Liam, and Malia all turned to look at Scott and Stiles immediately. It was no surprise. Besides the sudden change in heartbeat, they reeked of surprise, confusion, and a whole mess of emotions that they couldn’t quite label, especially Stiles.

Scott bristled and felt Stiles do the same. Their emotions flowed into each other, though it was more Stiles flowing into Scott at this point and it was almost overwhelming.

“M-mom?!” Stiles managed to choke out, his breathing becoming irregular.

“Yes, Stiles, it’s me,” replied Claudia. “I can’t believe you through this together for me. You even got your friends to come. That’s so sweet of them.”

“B-but… how?” asked Stiles.

Scott could feel it. Stiles was getting very close to having a panic attack.

_Stiles, calm down, man. Breathe._

He got no response in return, but he felt like Stiles had heard him.

“What do you mean, how?” asked Claudia, sounding confused. “I came home from work like I do every day.”

“But… you’re…” stammered Stiles, his breath catching now.

Stiles gripped Scott’s arm. It was happening just as Scott knew it would. Stiles was having a panic attack and, honestly, Scott couldn’t blame him. He was on edge too at the sight of Mrs. Stilinski alive, but he was keeping it together for his best friend. Scott grabbed Stiles.

“Uh… Excuse us,” said Scott hurriedly. “Stiles has been feeling a bit sick today. I’m going to take him to that bathroom and make sure he’d okay.”

Without waiting for a response, Scott yanked his best friend to the nearest bathroom and slammed the door. Stiles stumbled over to the sink, his breath short, ragged, and irregular. He couldn’t breathe. The world spun around him as his thoughts raced out of control. His mom was alive. Out of everything these timelines could have thrown at him, they threw that. He felt himself spiraling down towards a black abyss, but he couldn’t stop it.

Then there were hands on his shoulders. A bright face, full of concern in front of him. Scott. The darkness in his mind parted slightly. He could hear words coming from him now.

“Stiles! Stiles, count with me! Just like last time,” said Scott calmly. “You can do this.”

Scott held up one finger. Stiles looked at it, trying to focus on it. He remembered when they did this before. Of course Scott would remember how to help him.

“One,” said Stiles, still gasping for breath.

Scott nodded and held up another finger. Stiles replied with two. Scott continued until he was holding up all ten of his fingers. Stiles struggled at some points more than others, but with each passing number that he counted off, the darkness in his mind dissipated and his thoughts slowed.

“Ten,” said Stiles, breathing heavily, but normally.

“That’s right,” said Scott, a comforting smile on his face. “Ten. Ten fingers, Stiles.”

Stiles collapsed on the floor, leaning against the wall as he took some deep breaths. The worst had passed. Scott took a seat next to him, throwing his arm over Stiles’ shoulders.

“You’re going to be okay, Stiles,” said Scott.

“Yeah, I know,” said Stiles. “I just… Didn’t expect that.”

“Neither did I.”

“Of all the possible changes to the timeline, that had to be the one we got.”

“We never know what we’re going to get when we shift timelines.”

“Yeah. I’ll be okay I think.”

“I know you will. Just remember, we will have to leave eventually.”

“Yeah… I know.”

“Ready to go back?”

“Yeah, I think I’m ready.”

Stiles wiped his face off with a towel and the two of them returned to the kitchen where everyone was waiting for them.

“Are you feeling alright, honey?” asked Claudia, her voice full of motherly concern.

“Yeah, mom, I’m alright,” replied Stiles, managing to flash a smile. “Just been feeling a little sick today.”

“I hope it’s not something you picked up while you were helping Scott and the others fight the supernatural,” said Claudia.

Scott and Stiles shared a quick surprised glance. They hadn’t expected her to mention it so nonchalantly. At least that answered that question.

“No, I think it was just something I ate. I’m fine,” said Stiles quickly. “Besides, today is your day. It’s about you not me. Wouldn’t want all my planning to go to waste, would you?”

Claudia smiled softly at him and said, “Thanks, sweetie. It looks like you did a great job.”

Without any further fuss, the party got underway. The sheriff retrieved the cake and candles which Kira insisted on lighting. She’d been working on using and controlling her powers and since they knew about the supernatural, why not? Kira shot small bolts of lightning at each of the kindles, lighting them with a cascade of sparks. Claudia was very impressed and thanked her.

Everyone enjoyed cake and other food while the party went on. Stiles couldn’t believe this was happening. He was getting another chance to spend time with his mom and on her birthday of all days. He realized that he was just borrowing this time and eventually the other Stiles would have to take back over and continue to live out the rest of his life in this timeline with her, but for now he could enjoy it. He missed her so much.

* * *

The shadowy figure watched in bemusement from the shadows as his enemies relaxed and enjoyed themselves. He especially watched Stiles, watching him love being back with his mom. He smiled malevolently. Yes, things were going according to plan. He wouldn’t have to do anything after all. All he had to do was watch things unfold. It was refreshing to not have to do all the work for once.

There were two outcomes that he foresaw. The first was that they would all be wiped out and he would claim victory. While he would be victorious, he didn’t like this outcome. It was too easy and it meant his game would end.

The other outcome was that it would hurt them badly, possibly even break them completely. Yes. This is the outcome he wanted. The pain, the strife. He wanted it all. He wanted the game to continue. At least for now. He watched Stiles talk to his mom for a while longer after everyone had left, but he eventually grew tired and dissolved into the shadows, leaving no trace that he had ever been there.

 


	10. Making Up For Lost Time

Since this seemed like a universe that was pretty close to their own, Scott had decided that they should just go about their normal lives until they figured out what they were supposed to do here. They could relax or do whatever. It would also help keep up appearances with everyone they knew. Stiles was thrilled by this idea and had decided to spend as much time as possible with his mom.

Stiles woke up early the next morning so that he could cook breakfast with his mom. They were going to surprise his dad with a hearty, but healthy breakfast. Stiles excitedly started gathering the ingredients they needed: eggs, bell pepper, onion, bacon. Claudia watched him in amusement.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so excited to cook before,” said Claudia.

“Yeah, well, I just felt really energetic this morning,” replied Stiles.

“If you say so,” said Claudia, smiling. “I’m not going to turn away help.”

Stiles started chopping the onions and bell peppers, but Claudia stopped him.

“Stiles, I love you, but I think you should leave the chopping to me,” she said as she took the knife from him. “Go ahead and start whisking and seasoning the eggs. Oh, and put two skillets on the stove to start warming up.”

“Sure,” said Stiles.

He wasn’t even upset that she didn’t trust him with a knife. He was just happy to be cooking with her again. Stiles set the two skillets on the stove and turned the burners to medium heat. When he was done, he cracked the eggs into a big bowl and added all the seasonings just like she had taught him to. Once it was ready, he began to whisk the eggs quickly, blending them into the perfect aerated mixture.

Claudia had just finished chopping everything when Stiles finished. She tossed the onions and bell peppers into a skillet to cook them down some before adding them to the eggs. They sizzled in the skillet and their delicious aroma filled the air.

After letting them cook for several minutes, Claudia removed the skillet from the stove and slid the onions and bell peppers into the whisked eggs. Stiles stirred them into the eggs as Claudia set the skillet back on the stove. Stiles carefully poured the eggs into the other skillet and began to gently stir them so that they wouldn’t burn. Claudia began placing strips of bacon in the skillet that she’d used for the onions and bell peppers. The unmistakable and delectable smell of bacon permeated the house as the sound of sizzling bacon filled the kitchen.

Before much longer, the eggs and bacon were ready. Claudia had started making coffee while the eggs bacon finished cooking. Just as she and Stiles were sliding the eggs and bacon onto a serving plate, the sheriff walked into the kitchen.

“Wow! I wasn’t expecting breakfast,” said the sheriff, a small on his face.

“It was Stiles’ idea,” said Claudia. “He wanted to cook breakfast for everyone together.”

“Thanks, Stiles. And of course you, too, Claudia,” said the Sheriff as he gave Claudia a kiss.

“You’re welcome, honey,” she replied as she poured him a cup of coffee.

The three of them ate breakfast together, talking fluidly throughout. Stiles didn’t know he could be this happy. It had been years since he had last been able to experience this. His family was together again. It was whole. And they were sharing a meal and talking as a family. For a moment, Stiles forgot that this wasn’t his reality. He immersed himself in the moment, forgetting everything else.

After the sheriff was on his way to work, Claudia and Stiles started cleaning up the kitchen.

“Hey, mom, you like Star Wars, right?” asked Stiles as he put away another dish.

“Stiles, I’m the one who got you into Star Wars as a little kid,” laughed Claudia. “We’ve had numerous trivia battles, too. I still hold the lead by the way.”

“What? No way!” exclaimed Stiles. “I’m sure I’d be ahead.”

“Not by my count,” teased Claudia.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to marathon them all today,” said Stiles.

“You’re on,” said Claudia.

That was how they spent the day. They went to the big television in the living room and started playing the Episode I extended edition Blu-ray. They had the extended editions of the six films and they were going to watch them all. Stiles and his mom bantered back and forth constantly throughout each movie about certain random facts about filming, CGI, lore, technology, and other important details. They even got into a quoting competition to see who could quote the most lines in sync with the movie. They took a very short break to fix a quick lunch which they brought back to the living room with them so they could continue marathoning the movies.

They couldn’t believe it when they reached the end of Episode VI. Time seemed to have flown by for them. They hadn’t even noticed that it had gotten pitch black outside. Oddly, they weren’t even the least bit tired.

“I can’t believe we just watched all six movies,” said Stiles.

“It’s been a while,” said Claudia. “But I’m glad we got to do this.”

“Yeah it was fun! I’m still not convinced you know more Star Wars trivia than me though.”

“We can always have another trivia battle another night.”

“Definitely.”

“But it’s getting pretty late. We should get to bed, Stiles.”

“I guess so. Are you free tomorrow, mom?”

“Yes, why?”

“I was thinking we could go for a drive out to the preserve. Maybe have a picnic or something. I know a good spot.”

“That’s sweet, Stiles, but are you sure you want to spend another day with me? I appreciate it, but I know you have other friends and you have to help Scott and his pack out, too.”

“Things have actually been really calm lately. Besides, I spend a lot of time with all of them, so I’m sure they won’t mind.”

“Well, if you’re sure, then I’ll whip us up something good to take on the picnic. But, for now, bed.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Stiles didn’t protest. He went straight to bed and went to sleep. He couldn’t wait to go on a picnic with his mom tomorrow.

Apparently, Stiles had been more tired than he realized because Claudia had to wake him up the next morning. She laughed as he flailed getting out of bed and hurried to start getting ready. Claudia assured him there was no need to rush, but Stiles wasn’t listening. She sighed and went back downstairs, leaving Stiles to get ready.

After about a half an hour, Stiles went downstairs. He was ready to go. Claudia laughed and shook her head at him. They got into Stiles’ Jeep and left for the preserve. They talked the entire way.

Once they arrived at the edge of the preserve closest to where Stiles wanted to take her, he parked his Jeep. Claudia insisted on carrying the picnic basket in spite of Stiles’ protests. Stiles lead her to the Nemeton’s clearing.

Stiles stopped, surprised at what he saw. The Nemeton was nothing but a stump like it had been before he awakened as the world druid. He walked over to the stump and placed his hand on the center of it. He felt nothing. No life. No energy. No connection. Just nothing.

Stiles started to panic. Even if he wasn’t a world druid in this world, he should still feel the connection to the Nemeton and the world tree. He needed to test his powers. While his mom wasn’t looking, he called forth a rune of fire. It appeared before him in midair, a burning red. He let it fade away before he reached out to test his connection to Scott. He could definitely still feel his best friend. Stiles sighed in relief. Everything was okay.

“You alright, Stiles?” asked Claudia.

“Yeah! I’m fine!” Stiles replied quickly. “Just looking at this tree.”

“Ah, yeah. It’s interesting. That stump has been there for ages. Dr. Deaton said it used to be a site of great power.”

“Really? Weird. Anyway, I thought this would be nice place to have our picnic. What do you think?”

“It’s a lovely clearing. And there’s honestly something endearing about that tree stump.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“Well, let’s eat.”

Stiles helped his mom spread out the blanket that she’d brought for them to sit on before they started unpacking all the food. Claudia had made them each two club sandwiches dressed exactly how they liked them. She had also made some potato salad and brought pudding cups for dessert. They enjoyed pleasant conversation and the beautiful day that was afforded to them.

“Stiles, is something wrong and you’re not telling me?” asked Claudia.

“Huh?” asked Stiles in genuine confusion. “What’re you talking about?”

“You’ve been acting a little strange since my birthday party the other day. First you seemed shocked to see me and now you haven’t wanted to leave my side the past few days. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with you, but it’s such a sudden change in behavior. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, mom. Everything’s just fine. I just really wanted to spend some quality time with you. It’s been a while.”

“Stiles, we usually do something together at least once or twice a week. Sometimes you have to blow it off because of supernatural things or things with Scott or Malia.”

Stiles froze for a second. He’d been caught in a trap. It had been a very long time for him, but this Stiles spent time with his mom regularly. He had messed up.

“Well, like I said, things are calm for once. Gotta capitalize on that while you can,” said Stiles.

“Honey, you’re a teenager. The last thing you want to do is spend all day every day with you parents,” dismissed Claudia. “You can talk to me about anything. So, what’s wrong?”

“Mom, I promise. Nothing’s wrong.”

“Stiles, I know something’s wrong. Please don’t make me beg you to tell me.”

Stiles sighed. He couldn’t bring himself to fight her. He wasn’t going to let whatever time he had with her be marred by a fight. It was time to come clean.

“You know about the supernatural, but this still might blow your mind,” said Stiles.

“Try me,” said Claudia, cocking an eyebrow.

“I’m not your Stiles.”

“Come again?”

“There was a reason I reacted the way I did to seeing you and that’s why. I’m from a different timeline. So are Scott and the others.”

“Okay, I understand that, but why would you react so badly to seeing me? Surely you’re used to seeing me in whatever timeline you’re from.”

Stiles’ throat tightened and he felt tears well in his eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to say it. Claudia noticed his reaction and was confused, but a few seconds later, her face showed realization as she connected the dots.

“Oh. Oh no,” said Claudia. “In your timeline, I’m dead, aren’t I?”

All Stiles could do was nod. Claudia’s hand shot up to cover her mouth in shock. It only lasted a moment before she pulled Stiles into a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry, Stiles,” said Claudia. “I don’t know what happened in your timeline, but I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there for you.”

Stiles couldn’t hold it in any longer. He squeezed his mom tightly and started to cry. Claudia cooed him and stroked his back with her thumb as she hugged him. She kept telling him it was alright. After several minutes, Stiles started to regain his composure.

“Now I understand why you wanted to spend so much time with me,” said Claudia. “It’s because you haven’t been able to for many years.”

“Yeah,” said Stiles. “You died when I was little. I was still old enough to remember though.”

“Well, you can spend as much time as you want with me. I’m here now.”

“Even though I’m not your Stiles?”

“That’s just silly. You’re still Stiles. Regardless of what timeline you’re from, you’re still my son and I will always love you.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“Now, why don’t you explain to me why you and the others are traveling through time?”

“Sure. But it’s a bit complicated.”

Stiles spent the few hours explaining to her everything that had happened to them and why they were traveling through time. Claudia listened intently and never really asked questions. She seemed to accept the supernatural with ease. Stiles wondered how long she had known about the supernatural world.

“I see,” said Claudia. “But why haven’t you guys done anything yet?”

“We haven’t found any tears or problems yet,” replied Stiles.

“Isn’t that unusual? It’s been several days now.”

“Yeah, but we can’t exactly move forward freely. We have to stabilize the timeline before the next portal can open.”

“Well, I’m sure it’ll happen soon enough.”

“But I don’t mind staying here.”

“And I don’t mind you staying here. But when it’s time to go, you have to go, Stiles. More than just you and I is at stake.”

“Yeah, I know. It doesn’t make it any easier though. I don’t want to lose you again.”

“Stiles, I will always love you. It doesn’t matter what timeline or if I’m dead or alive. You’ll always have your memories of me and the new ones we’ve made here.”

“Yeah. You’re right. Thanks, mom.”

“I told you you could talk to me about anything.”

The two of them laughed and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon in the preserve talking.

* * *

It had been days since Scott had seen Stiles in person. He knew his best friend was happy though. He could feel it. It made sense. He hadn’t been able to do things with his mother in a long time. Scott couldn’t fault him for that. He deserved this chance.

In the meantime, he’d been working with Derek and the others to look for what might be wrong in this timeline. Even though several days had passed, they still hadn’t found anything. Scott was beginning to wonder if the world tree had sent them to early or to the wrong timeline altogether. Suddenly, there was a knock at his room door.

Scott looked up to see Lydia standing at his door. She looked a little nervous and on edge. Scott motioned for her to come in.

“What’s up, Lydia?” asked Scott.

“Something’s wrong, Scott,” said Lydia. “I’ve known it since we first got here, but I thought maybe it was just a bad feeling.”

“Lydia, usually your bad feelings are right.”

“That doesn’t mean I want them to be.”

“Sorry. That’s not what I meant.”

“I know. I’m just a little flustered I guess.”

“It’s okay, Lydia. Just tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s been quiet ever since we got here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I haven’t heard the voices, the other banshees. It’s been completely quiet. What makes it even weirder is that they’ve been getting louder and clearer as we moved through the timelines. Now they’re just gone.”

“That is really weird. A lot of weird things have been happening here. Like our memories. We had no problems last time, but this time it’s all jumbled and messed up. And it’s been days and we still can’t find anything wrong here.”

“Like I said, something’s not right. Even if the timeline is messed up, I should still hear their voices. Every timeline should have them. It’s like the banshees have abandoned this timeline.”

Suddenly, everything clicked for Scott. That word, abandoned. Scott remembered what the world tree had told them: they must abandon any doomed timeline they encounter. Doomed timeline.

“Lydia, did anyone in your group ever check the back of your necklace to see what kind of timeline this was?” asked Scott, sounding serious.

“Huh? No. Why?” asked Lydia in confusion. “I figured you or Stiles did.”

“We never did,” replied Scott, sounding somewhat scared now.

“Scott, what’s wrong? What did you just realize?” asked Lydia.

Scott didn’t answer Lydia. He quickly pulled out his wooden necklace and looked at the back of it. Neither the alpha nor the beta symbols were illuminated. Instead, the skull and crossbones that signified a doomed timeline were glowing with a bright red light. He turned the back of his necklace to face Lydia. Her face dropped as she realized what Scott was talking about.

“This is a doomed timeline,” said Scott.

 


	11. The Doomed Timeline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of this chapter alludes to/references events that occur in another of my fics, [A Solemn Anniversary](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1221022). You don't need to read it to understand things, but I thought I would explain where I'm coming from since these are not things directly stated in the show's canon.

“If this is a doomed timeline, we have to get out of here,” said Lydia, barely concealing the panic in her voice.

“I know,” agreed Scott. “But I’m not sure how. Before the portals just opened when we fixed a timeline. There’s nothing to fix here, so how do we move forward?”

“The world tree didn’t give you any kind of hint at all?”

“Not really. It just said that if we found one, abandon it as quick as we can.”

“That was really helpful.”

“Sometimes it likes to be cryptic. I guess it’s an ancient all-knowing being thing.”

“Maybe Stiles will know something. He can draw from the world tree’s knowledge, right?”

“Yeah, but…” Scott trailed off.

“But what?” asked Lydia.

“If this is a doomed timeline, that means Mrs. Stilinski, along with everything else in this timeline, is going to stop existing eventually. Basically, they’ll die,” said Scott. “That means Stiles would lose his mom. Again. I don’t know how he’ll handle that.”

“I… I hadn’t thought about that,” said Lydia quietly, silently upset with herself for not considering that.

“When she died in our timeline, Stiles was devastated,” explained Scott. “I was there with him when it happened. We were ten and he ran away. I found him outside the hospital having a panic attack. I didn’t really know what to do, so I just hugged him and told him it would be okay. It worked.”

“I didn’t realize how hard it hit him,” said Lydia. “I didn’t really know either of you back then.”

“It gets worse. Stiles has always been good at hiding things, but I’ve always been good at seeing through them,” Scott continued. “He largely kept it hidden, but there was always something different about him. He acted out more at school, he became even more sarcastic than before, among other things. He stayed over at my house a lot. Sometimes, I’d wake up during the night and find him crying. I think I helped him a lot just by being there and my mom, too, but it still took him over a year to get back to normal."

“He’s lucky to have you,” smiled Lydia. “But he’s stronger than that now, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, he’s gotten strong,” said Scott. “I guess we’ll see. We’ll have to tell him eventually anyway.”

“Better now than later.”

“Yeah. Lydia, can you pass on the news to the rest of the pack? I think it’d be best if I told Stiles about this privately.”

“Sure. No problem.”

“Thanks, Lydia.”

With a nod, Lydia turned and left the room, already texting everyone before she was even through the door of Scott’s room.

Scott sighed. In spite of what Lydia had said about Stiles being strong, Scott still wasn’t too sure that Stiles would react well to this. It wasn’t a conversation he was looking forward to, but he knew it had to be done. He reached out to Stiles, following their connection.

_Hey, can you come by my house? I need to talk to you._

_Sure, once I’m done here. What’s up?_

_I think we figured out something about this timeline._

_Awesome. I’ll be over in a little while._

_Great. See you soon, man._

_Scott?_

_Yeah?_

_Is something wrong?_

Scott froze for a moment. Of course Stiles could see through him. That went both ways. It didn’t help that they were connected.

_Everything’s fine, Stiles. We just figured out some new stuff and I wanted to show you._

_Hmm. Alright, I’ll see you later._

Scott wasn’t sure Stiles had actually bought it, but at least he didn’t press the issue. Scott fell back on his bed and started thinking of what he was going to tell Stiles.

* * *

Stiles must have had an odd look on his face because his mom gave him a confused look.

“Everything okay?” asked Claudia.

“Yeah. Why?” asked Stiles.

“Well you zoned out for a minute there.”

“Oh, sorry. Scott was talking to me.”

“What?”

“I thought I explained the whole world druid and connection thing.”

“You didn’t mention telepathy.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of a recent development. Sorry.”

“It’s alright. What did he say?”

“He wants me to come by his house later. He said they figured out something about the timeline.”

“See? I told you something would turn up soon!”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Do you need to go? It’s fine if you do.”

“No! Scott said I could come by later. He knows I’m spending time with you.”

“Well, alright. As long as you’re sure it’s okay. Do let me know what they found out.”

“Of course.”

Stiles and Claudia spent a few more hours at the preserve before Stiles dropped her back at their house and then went to see Scott.

* * *

Scott was still laying on his bed. It’d been hours and he still hadn’t come up with a good way to tell Stiles. That was probably because there was no good way to tell Stiles. Scott let out a frustrated groan and sat up on his bed to see Stiles laughing at him from the doorway of his room.

“You okay there, Scott?” asked Stiles.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Scott said quickly.

“So what’d you guys figure out? Speaking of everyone else, where are they?”

“I thought I should talk to you alone about this.”

Scott felt the suspicion emanating from Stiles. It was only enhanced by the sideways glance Stiles gave him.

“Why?” asked Stiles.

“Because it’s a bit personal,” replied Scott.

“Scott, stop beating around the bush and tell me what’s going on.”

Scott sighed. Maybe the direct approach was best.

“This is a doomed timeline, Stiles,” said Scott.

Scott had never seen someone’s face change so fast. Stiles face dropped in disbelief and his face seemed to go even paler than normal. He heard Stiles’ heart rate rise. They both knew what a doomed timeline meant.

“What do you mean?” Stiles finally managed to say.

“Exactly what I said. This is a doomed timeline,” replied Scott.

“There’s no way this is a doomed timeline!”

“Stiles, think about it. There’s been no problems here like the other timelines. We had problems with our other selves’ memories. Lydia can’t hear the other banshees.”

“Lydia can’t hear the banshees?”

“No. She just recently told me. That’s when I made the connection.”

“That’s still a big logical leap, Scott.”

“Yeah, but I have proof.”

“No…”

“You already know what I’m going to show you then.”

Stiles remained silent, just watching Scott as he reached under his shirt and withdrew the wooden necklace that Stiles had made. Scott turned the necklace so that the back of it faced Stiles. The skull and crossbones were illuminated. Stiles shook his head in disbelief.

“No,” said Stiles. “The runes I made must be defective or something.”

“Stiles,” pleaded Scott. “You know that’s not true. You know they work.”

“No, I don’t! I could have messed up the runes for it.”

“On all of them?”

“I could have just picked the wrong ones. What if this is just that shadowy guy trying to mess with us? He can manipulate time, so it’s reasonable he could trick my necklace.”

“Stiles, that doesn’t make any sense.”

“Yeah it does! If he tricked us into leaving this timeline, then he could mess with it and destroy it. He’d win.”

“Stiles…” said Scott sadly.

“It’s not a doomed timeline. It can’t be,” said Stiles, sounding desperate at this point. “Besides, the world tree said that a doomed timeline happens when some big event doesn’t happen like it’s supposed to.”

“It never said it had to be a big event,” said Scott, an inkling of realization hitting him.

“What?” asked Stiles, dumbfounded.

“The world tree said that some points in time are fixed,” explained Scott. “It never said they had to be big or important. They were just points that, for whatever reason, have to happen a certain way or everything falls apart.”

“What’re you saying, Scott?”

“Stiles, what is the one thing that’s different here?”

“No. You can’t mean…”

“I do. I’m sorry, Stiles, but I think your mom’s death is a fixed point in time.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Something about her death was critical to the timelines.”

“WHY?!” shouted Stiles, actually catching Scott by surprise.

The fury that had been behind those words was gone in an instant. Stiles just seemed to crumple as he fell to his knees. Tears had started streaming down his cheeks.

“Why, Scott?” asked Stiles again through silent sobs. “Why did it have to be her?”

Scott sat on the floor next to Stiles and pulled him into a hug.

“I don’t know, Stiles,” said Scott. “I just don’t know. I’m so sorry.”

Stiles squeezed Scott tighter, just like he had back when he lost his mom the first time.

“I don’t want to lose her. Not again. I can’t,” said Stiles.

“I know,” said Scott. “But we have to go. You know we can’t stay, especially not now.”

“Yeah. I just need some time.”

“I’m not sure how much of that we have.”

“Please, Scott.

Scott couldn’t argue with his best friend. Not like this. He sighed.

“Yeah, of course,” said Scott.

“I’ll think of something,” said Stiles.

“I know you will.”

Stiles stayed with Scott for a while longer until he finally calmed down. Scott had always been able to make him feel better even by just being around him. Talking to him helped a lot, too. He couldn’t talk to anyone else as openly as he did with Scott. When he was ready, Stiles finally headed back home.

Stiles went straight to his room when he got home. His head was still swimming from what he’d learned from Scott. Stiles hated to admit it, but it looked like Scott was right. His mom’s death was a fixed point in time. He had no idea why that was the case, no idea why the universe saw fit to put him and his tiny family through hell in every viable iteration of the timelines, but that’s the way things were.

Or was it? Did it really have to be that way? Stiles thought to himself for a moment. What if he could stabilize this timeline and protect it from blinking out of existence? They’d been doing it all along with the other timelines, so maybe it was possible. Stiles grabbed some paper and a pen and got to work, drawing glyphs and runes everywhere. There had to be a good combination to make the spell he needed. He wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight and, honestly, he didn’t care.


	12. The Fall

Scott had already met with the rest of the pack the following day. He’d also decided to give Stiles some time to work through everything like he promised. Even so, Scott hadn’t heard from Stiles in the past two days and that was worrisome. If Stiles was that preoccupied, he was up to something. Scott decided to go check up on his best friend.

When Scott arrived at Stiles’ house, Claudia answered the door, greeting him with a big smile.

“Oh, Scott!” said Claudia warmly. “Stiles said you’d be coming by.”

“Yeah, I hadn’t heard from him lately, so I thought I’d check in,” said Scott.

“He’s in his room. I’m a little worried about him since he’s barely left it the past few days. Is something wrong?”

“No, he’s just gotten really focused on something. Once that happens, there’s no stopping him.”

Claudia laughed and said, “Yes, that sounds about right. But I did ask him what you told him about the timeline. He kept dodging the question. Scott, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t think I’m the one who should answer that,” answered Scott.

Scott felt bad when he saw Claudia’s face fall, but he knew it wasn’t his place to tell her. If Stiles hadn’t told her, he’d respect that.

“I see,” said Claudia. “Alright then. Well, he’s in his room. Make yourself at home, Scott.”

Scott nodded and hurried upstairs to Stiles’ room. When he entered the room, he found Stiles sitting in the middle of the floor with countless papers that were covered in runes and glyphs scattered everywhere. It was impossible to see the actual floor.

“Stiles, what’re you doing?” asked Scott.

“Drawing up a new spell,” answered Stiles, never looking up from his work.

“Did you figure out how to open the portal and get us out of here?”

“Umm, maybe?”

“Stiles…”

“I’ve been working on this, Scott, but, yeah, I think I know how to get us out of here.”

“How then?”

“Well, I’m the world druid, the one connected to the world tree who keeps opening the portals. Since there’s nothing for us to resolve here, I think I just have to want to leave this timeline and the new portal will open.”

“That almost seems too simple. How’d you figure that out?”

“Trying to find the right runes and glyphs for this spell meant I had to draw heavily on the world tree’s knowledge. While I was doing that, I came across that bit of information, too.”

“Alright, so we can leave whenever then?”

“No, I have to want to leave.”

“Stiles…”

“I just need a little more time, Scotty. I’m almost done.”

“With what?”

“This spell and ward.”

“What’s it do?”

“Hopefully, it’ll stop this timeline from collapsing.”

“What?” asked Scott in disbelief. “Stiles, you know doomed timelines are just that. They’re doomed!”

“But what if they don’t have to be?” asked Stiles, looking directly at Scott. “I know I can’t stay here forever, but what if I can save this timeline. Even if I’m gone, there will at least be one timeline where my mom gets to live. One timeline where the universe doesn’t fuck over me and my family. One timeline where I don’t have to know the pain of that loss at such a young age. Please, Scott. I have to try.”

Scott was quiet. He knew he should probably protest, but what could he possibly say to that? Nothing. There was no way he could force his best friend to give up like that.

“Yeah. You have to try,” said Scott, a small smile crossing his face.

A huge grin spread across Stiles’ face as he jumped up from his spot on the floor to give Scott a hug, sending nearby papers flying.

“Thanks, buddy,” said Stiles.

“No problem, but we do have to hurry,” said Scott. “We’ve been in this timeline a long time. We don’t know when it’ll start falling apart.”

“Yeah. I just finished the spell, so now I just need to cast it. I’ll need some help though.”

“Pretty sure I can help with that.”

Stiles smirked as they activated their soul link. Stiles focused on the very large and complex image that he had just finished crafting from the runes and glyphs. The image appeared on the floor beneath them, covering his floor. The runes and glyphs began to shift and move as Stiles channeled as much power as he could into it. He felt Scott’s strength and power flowing into him, augmenting his own power. He could do this.

More runes and glyphs appeared in the air around them and began to fly out in random directions, passing through the walls. Scott looked through Stiles’ window and saw that the glyphs were spreading across Beacon Hills. After several more minutes of this, the glow of the runes and glyphs faded as the spell came to completion and they dissipated. Stiles let out a heavy sigh. He was exhausted.

“That should do it,” said Stiles, breathing heavily.

“Good,” said Scott. “I’m glad it went well. Why don’t you rest while I get everyone else together? We can leave after a little while longer.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. And, Scott, thanks again. Really,” said Stiles earnestly.

Scott just smiled and turned to leave the room as Stiles fell back onto his bed. He was confident in his spell. He’d done it. He had preserved this timeline. At least some version of himself could live his life without ever knowing pain like he had. That was enough for him. He had saved his mom and his family. With those happy thoughts in mind, Stiles drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Stiles woke up sometime later to Scott shaking him gently. He sat up and stretched. He felt a lot better now. That nap had given him energy.

“We should get going soon, Stiles,” said Scott.

“Yeah, I know,” replied Stiles quietly. “Let me just say bye to mom, okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

The two of them went downstairs to find the rest of the pack and Stiles’ parents waiting for them.

“So this is it then,” said Claudia. “It’s time for you to go?”

“Yeah,” answered Stiles. “We have to. You’ll be alright though.”

Claudia gave Stiles a big hug. He sighed, holding on for as long as he could. This was his last chance. He didn’t really want to go, but he was ready now that he knew she would be safe.

Suddenly the ground began to shake and Stiles noticed the light from outside was rapidly fading. Next he felt the strain and cracking of his wards and his heart plumutted. He had failed. His wards and spells were coming undone. Stiles ran outside, Scott and everyone else right behind him.

The sky had become dark and distorted. The ground nearby was beginning to crack and buckle.

“What’s going on?” asked Claudia.

“What? I thought I’d stopped it,” answered Stiles.

“What do you mean?”

“This is supposed to be a doomed timeline. It’s fated to cease existing. I didn’t want that to happen, so I tried to cast a powerful spell to save it. I thought it worked, but now it’s all falling apart.”

“Stiles, you can’t blame yourself for that,” said Claudia softly.

“Yes, I can!” shouted Stiles. “I have the power and knowledge, but I still couldn’t stop it. This is my fault.”

“Stiles, you know she’s right,” said Scott. “You didn’t make this a doomed timeline.”

“That doesn’t matter,” said Stiles. “I’m not giving up yet!”

Stiles started casting more spells and sending out wards in an effort to stop the collapsing timeline. For a few moments, they seemed to hold, but they soon gave way as well. Each time one broke, Stiles cast another in its place, but he was falling behind. Houses, trees, cars, and everything else began to break apart, flying away into a sky that was quickly becoming a black abyss.

“Stiles, we have to go!” shouted Lydia. “Now!”

“She’s right, Stiles,” said Malia. “You have to open the portal.”

“I can still fix this!” shouted Stiles.

“Scott, you have to stop him,” said Allison. “We can’t get out of here unless he’s willing to go.”

“I know,” said Scott. “I’ll try.”

Scott approached Stiles quickly but carefully. It was hard seeing his friend in such distress. As he reached him, Scott placed a hand on Stiles’ shoulder. Stiles whirled around to face Scott, a look of wild desperation in his shining green eyes. Scott had never seen Stiles like this before.

“Stiles you have to stop this,” said Scott as softly as he could. “You did everything you could. But you have to let it go.”

“No!” shouted Stiles. “I can still keep the timeline stable!”

“Look around you, Stiles! The timeline is collapsing. It’s already too late.”

“I’m not going to give up, Scott. I can’t lose my mom again. I won’t lose my mom again. I refuse!”

“Stiles, you have to go,” said Claudia, her voice warm and soothing.

Claudia had walked up next to Scott while they were arguing.

“It’s over, Stiles,” said Claudia. “You and your friends have to escape while you still can.”

“Mom,” said Stiles, his voice cracking as tears began to stream down his face. “I- I can’t. I don’t want to lose you. Not again.”

“I know, sweetie. I know. But if you don’t, then you’ll lose me as well as your friends.”

“But-”

“No buts, Stiles. Listen to your mother.”

Stiles dropped his head. He knew she was right.

“I… I want to go… So my friends can live,” Stiles managed to choke out.

Immediately, the familiar blue portal opened behind the pack. They could not see clearly beyond the portal as they could before, but it was clearly the time portal like they had used before.

“Go,” said Scott, motioning to the others. “We’ll be right behind you.”

They nodded and started stepping through the portal and into the next timeline. When Scott turned around, he found Stiles was back  at casting spell even more vigorously than before. In spite of his efforts, the world around them seemed to be breaking apart even faster than before.

“Stiles-,” started Scott.

“Go, Scott,” said Stiles.

“Not without you. I can’t do this without you.”

“I’m not leaving.”

Scott was about to say something, but Claudia stopped him and leaned close to Scott.

“Go,” Claudia whispered in his ear. “I’ll send him after you. Trust me. Mother’s touch.”

She leaned away from Scott and winked at him. Scott wasn’t sure what she was planning, but he felt he could trust her. He nodded and stepped through the portal.

“Stiles, you need to go, too,” said Claudia softly.

“I can’t leave, mom. Not now,” said Stiles. “The others are safe. They’ll be fine without me.”

Claudia stepped in front of Stiles and pulled him into a tight hug. Stiles was surprised at first, but found that he quickly relaxed into it, returning the hug. He started to realize how exhausted he truly was from using so much magic at once. It felt nice to relax for a moment.

“You’ve done so much, Stiles,” said Claudia. “I’m so proud of you and who you’ve become. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, mom,” said Stiles, squeezing her even harder.

Claudia let him hold onto her for a moment longer before separating from him, keeping her hands on his shoulders. She smiled sadly at him, which confused Stiles.

“I’m sorry,” said Claudia as the collapsing world around them raced towards them. “Remember that I always have and always will love you. Goodbye, Stiles.”

With those words, Claudia shoved Stiles as hard as she could. Stiles’ eyes widened in shock as he realized what she was doing, but it was too late. Stiles fell backwards into the portal as he screamed. The last thing he saw was his mother’s smile just before she broke apart into fragments and faded into oblivion.

 


	13. We Move Forward

Stiles was still screaming as he entered the new timeline. He didn’t even process that his surroundings had changed to the familiar look of Scott’s room. That image of his mother was burned into his eyes. He felt two strong, but gentle hands on his shoulders and a wave of comfort and concern. Stiles had stopped screaming and his eyes finally focused on what was in front of him. It was Scott. He was saying something, but Stiles couldn’t quite make it out. He was still dazed. He tried to focus again.

“Stiles, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” asked Scott.

“No, I’m not,” replied Stiles, his voice low and small. “She pushed me through, Scott. I saw her get wiped from existence. I lost her. Again.”

Scott pulled him into a hug as hot tears started to stream down Stiles’ face.

“I couldn’t stop it,” sobbed Stiles. “I wasn’t strong enough. Why? Why again?”

“Stiles, it’s not your fault,” said Scott softly. “There was nothing you could’ve done. It was a doomed timeline.”

“It’s not fair!”

“Life rarely is. But, Stiles, remember the time you had with her. Remember that she loved you. Just because she’s gone doesn’t make those memories any less real. They’ll always be a part of you and she’ll live on through that.”

“That might be the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard you say,” said Stiles, a small laugh breaking through his tears.

“It made you laugh though,” said Scott.

“Yeah, I guess it did. It still hurts. A lot.”

“And it’s going to for a while. But we have to move forward. Whoever’s causing all this probably sent us there knowing that it would rattle you.”

“He was right.”

“But you haven’t given up. We haven’t given up. We’re going to get through this and we’re going to stop him.”

“I’d really like to kick his ass for putting me through that hell.”

“I’ll make sure you get the chance.”

“Thanks, Scott.”

Scott sat down next to Stiles on his bed, flinging his arm around his best friend. Stiles leaned over onto Scott, resting his head on Scott’s shoulder. He’d stopped crying now, but he still wasn’t in the best place yet. He wasn’t sure he ever would be. It was doubtful many people got to watch their mom die not once but twice. That image of her being ripped from existence would never leave him.

In spite of all that, being around Scott helped. They weren’t even talking anymore, but he still felt better. Something about just knowing he had someone there for him always. Stiles felt the love and concern radiating from Scott through their bond. It wasn’t anything he could hope to put into words. It just was and that was enough for Stiles. The faintest hint of a smile began to show on his otherwise solemn face.

Scott smiled softly, looking down at Stiles as he leaned into him. He gently rubbed his thumb across Stiles’ shoulder. He felt Stiles relax more, both physically and emotionally, as he did. Scott did his best to project just how much he loved and cared about Stiles. He knew that Stiles already knew, but sometimes a reminder never hurt. With their bond, he didn’t even need to find the right words. The feeling was enough.

Still, Scott could feel Stiles’ pain through that same connection. He felt all the guilt and sadness inside of Stiles even though he knew Stiles was trying to hide it from him. It saddened Scott knowing that this was the most he could do. All his power as a true alpha and he still couldn’t make his best friend stop hurting. Scott could only take away physical pain with his powers, not emotional or psychological. But maybe, just maybe, this was enough. At least for Stiles.

The two of them sat like that for some time, neither of them in any hurry to move. Scott didn’t want to rush Stiles and Stiles knew he needed the time to collect himself or he’d never make it past the door to Scott’s room without breaking down again. Eventually, Stiles picked his head up off Scott’s shoulder and turned to look at him.

“Hey, I think I’ll be okay for now,” said Stiles.

“Are you sure?” asked Scott. “We don’t have to rush.”  
“Yeah. I’ll be okay. You were right, Scott. It’ll keep hurting for a while, but we still have to move forward. And I’ve got you by my side. I think I’ll be just fine.”

One of Scott’s huge trademark smiles crossed his face and he said, “Yeah. You will be. You know I’ve always got your back.”

“Likewise,” said Stiles, returning the smile. “So, what’s the plan?”

“For now we should try to find everyone else and figure out what’s going on in this timeline.”

“Sounds good. Let’s get moving.”

* * *

Derek shook his head. Maybe some day he’d get used to the disorienting feeling of shifting timelines and merging with his other self, but today was no that day. The smell hit his nose first. An aroma he hadn’t smelled in a very long time. His mother’s pot roast.

Derek snapped his eyes open, looking around him almost wildly in his confusion. It took him a minute to process what was in front of him. It was his family. Talia, Laura, Cora, Peter, his dad, his brother, and everyone else. They were all seated around the large dining room table. All of them had also stopped eating and were now staring at Derek. Derek could only assume he had an expression of surprise or confusion. He quickly tried to hide it.

“Is everything alright, Derek?” asked Talia.

“Y- Yeah. I’m fine,” said Derek, shaking his head again. “Just felt a little dizzy for a second.”

“I can hear your heartbeat spiking all the way over here,” said Laura, smirking.

Derek glared at Laura for a moment but returned his gaze to Talia as she spoke to him again.

“Derek, is there something you’re not telling us?” asked Talia.

“No, really, everything’s fine,” insisted Derek, doing his best to control his heartbeat this time.

“We could all smell the surprise and confusion off you, Derek,” said Cora. “That’s what got us before we even noticed your face.”

“Looks like she’s got you, bro,” laughed Brandon, Derek’s elder brother. “She’s not wrong though. Seriously, what’s up?”

Derek couldn’t help but notice that Peter was being oddly silent and giving him an almost knowing look. There was no way he knew what was going on, right? Derek dispelled the thought and chalked it up to Peter being his usual creepy self. Some things didn’t change across the timelines.

“Let the boy be,” said Derek’s father, Noah. “If he wants to tell us, he will.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s not a boy anymore, dad,” said Laura.

“Laura, you know what I meant,” responded Noah. “I don’t imagine you’d want us pressing you every time you had something you wanted to keep secret, hmm?”

Laura quickly turned her gaze back to her plate and remained silent. Several of the others laughed including Brandon while Cora just rolled her eyes.

“Very well,” said Talia, a thin smile crossing her face. “But, Derek, if something’s wrong, please let us know.”

“Yeah, I will,” replied Derek.

Talia nodded at him and everyone went back to eating and talking as if nothing had happened.

Derek breathed a sigh of relief. He’d managed to avoid further questioning for now. He knew Laura wouldn’t let it go though. She’d probably harass him later. Derek decided to take another look at his family.

It was hard to believe it, but they were all here. All of his brothers and sisters, his parents, and even his cousins. His cousins especially were so much bigger now. They’d been little when he’d last seen them. Before the fire. Before everything changed.

Derek shook his head, trying to dispel the images those thoughts conjured. In his timeline, the last time he’d seen them was as kids. They were teenagers now and they’d grown so much. It was almost unbelievable. They were probably coming into their powers now, too. It was a lot for Derek to take in.

Derek took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to relax himself. He knew his dad had diverted attention away from him, but he could tell most of his family was still watching him. Laura wasn’t exactly being subtle with her occasional glances and Peter still had this smug look on his face like he knew something he shouldn’t. Then again, Peter almost always had a smug look on his face, so maybe that was just normal.

Derek finally had his heart rate under control again. He was starting to relax into things and accept it. For now, this was the timeline he’d have to deal with. It wasn’t so bad. After all, his family was alive. Stiles had gotten to see his mom again, so maybe this was a chance for him to make new memories with them.

An idea suddenly hit Derek. Just like with Stiles’ mom, someone that should be dead was alive again. What if this was another doomed timeline and he was going to watch his family get wiped from existence just like Stiles did? He felt his heart race again as a small wave of panic washed through him, drawing a suspicious look from Laura and a concerned look from Talia and Brandon.

Derek tried to subtly knock his napkin on the ground. He quickly bent down to pick it up. When he did, he grabbed his necklace and removed it from under his shirt. The beta symbol was illuminated on the back of it. Derek relaxed immediately and dropped the necklace beneath his shirt before returning to his seat.

Talia cocked a questioning eyebrow at Derek who simply avoided meeting her gaze. Derek did his best to relax once again. He was relieved. His family was alive and they weren’t in a doomed timeline. They’d continue to live even after he was gone. In the meantime, he’d get the chance to see them again. He knew he’d have to leave eventually and he would when the time came, but, even if it was just for a short while, he was happy to be with his family again. Derek smiled and took another bite of his mom’s pot roast. It had been a long time since he’d had any and it was just as good as he remembered.

 


	14. The Meeting Of The Alphas

Scott and Stiles were standing outside of Scott’s house. Scott fiddled with his phone. He had been texting Derek, but getting no reply. Everyone else had already answered back saying they were fine and that they were ready to meet up when Scott was ready. Everyone except Braeden anyway. Scott still hadn’t gotten around to getting her number, but, hey, she could be pretty intimidating. Another reason he needed to get in touch with Derek soon.

“Try calling him, Scott,” suggested Stiles. “What is it with you and not wanting to call people?”

“Stiles, just because he doesn’t answer your texts doesn’t mean-” started Scott.

“That is beside the point!” interrupted Stiles. “Just give it a try, okay?”

“Alright, alright. I’ll call him,” surrendered Scott.

Scott tapped his phone, calling Derek. After a few rings, it went to voicemail. Scott hung up his phone and returned it to his pocket before giving Stiles an I-told-you-so look.

"It was worth a shot," said Stiles.

"Yeah, but now I'm really worried," said Scott. "What if he's in trouble or something?"

“Everyone’s a bit scattered in this timeline, Scott. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“But what if it is.”

Stiles sighed and said, “I think I can find him.”

“How?” asked Scott.

“I can try a locator spell. It kind of works on the idea that everything is connected.”

“Alright, well try it out.”

Stiles dropped to one knee and placed his hand on the grass of Scott’s front yard as he closed his eyes. He focused on Derek, on finding him. A small magic circle appeared beneath Stiles’ hands as his eyes snapped open, glowing a deep forest green.

Stiles no longer saw what was in front of him. His vision raced across Beacon Hills through the magic of his spell. It carried him through the preserve and, finally, to a familiar place. The Hale family House. As soon as his vision reached the front door, the spell ended and the magic circle disappeared as the green glow of Stiles’ eyes faded away.

“He’s at the Hale house,” said Stiles, a hint of surprise in his voice.

“Why would he be there?” asked Scott. “It should just be a bunch of charred ruins. If it’s like in our timeline, then it’s actually been demolished.”

“That’s what’s weird, Scott. The house isn’t in ruins. It’s in perfect condition, just like when we saw it in the first timeline before the fire.”

“Does that mean his family’s alive?”

“Probably.”

Scott and Stiles had the same thought at the same time. They quickly pulled out their necklaces and checked the back. They both sighed in relief when they realized that the beta symbol was illuminated and not the skull and crossbones.

“Well, that’s one less thing to worry about,” said Stiles.

“Definitely,” agreed Scott. “But, Stiles, if the Hale fire didn’t happen in this timelines, do you think that means I was never bitten? I mean, Peter only became an alpha after the fire and I don’t think Derek’s mom would bite someone without a really good reason.”

“That’s a really good point. If that’s the case, I’m probably not a druid here either. Actually, I bet none of us are anything supernatural and our families don’t know anything about the supernatural either.”

“We’ll have to be careful around our parents then. If they don’t know, there’s no reason to drag them into this.”

“Yeah, I agree.”

“Let’s get going though. I know he’s at his family house, but we still don’t know why he won’t answer his phone.”

“Fine, fine. I’m telling you it’s gonna be something stupid though.”

“Better safe than sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just get in my Jeep.”

* * *

Derek had just finished lunch with his family. Laura and Cora were helping their cousins to clear the table. Derek smiled and reached into his pocket to check his phone. He realized that it had been on silent for the entire meal and that he had ten missed texts and a missed call from Scott. Worried, he went to call Scott back, but stopped as he heard the unmistakable sound of Stiles’ Jeep pulling up outside. Apparently, so did the rest of his family because they stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction of the front windows. Derek let out a sigh. This was just what he needed.

“Expecting company, Derek?” asked Laura, cocking an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

“No,” replied Derek bluntly.

He wasn’t lying after all. He hadn’t expected them to show up. Hopefully they wouldn’t cause too much trouble. Somehow those two always caused so much chaos. They were close friends of his, but that was an undeniable fact.

“Well then what’re they doing here?” asked Cora.

“Your sisters have a point,” said Talia, a bemused but suspicious smile on her face. “What are these two doing here?”

“I guess you’ll have to ask them,” answered Derek.

“Indeed,” said Talia as she strode towards the door.

Talia was nearly at the door when a knock was heard. At the same time, Talia froze and her eyes narrowed. Derek knew why, too.

“Derek, why does one of them smell like a wolf?” asked Talia.

“Why don’t you ask him?” said Derek.

“We’re the only pack in Beacon Hills, Derek,” replied Talia sharply. “None of the others are in town yet, so either this is a rogue pack or he’s an omega. Both of which are dangerous.”

“I recognize them,” said Cora, peeking through the window. “One’s the sheriff’s son and the other is called McCall I think. They’re around town a lot and almost always together.”

“Hmm. Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to talk to them,” mused Talia. “I expect an explanation eventually, Derek.”

“Why are you assuming this has something to do with me?” asked Derek.

Talia shook her head and opened the door, revealing Scott and Stiles standing rather awkwardly at the door. They appeared surprised, but they relaxed when they saw Derek.

“Derek!” exclaimed Scott, a smile spreading across his face. “You’re alright!”

Derek had never face palmed so fast or so hard before in his entire life and that was saying something. Laura and Cora burst into uncontrollable laughter. Even Talia let out a small chuckle through her thin smile.

“So glad you knew nothing about them, Derek,” said Talia.

Scott’s face dropped when he heard that, realizing his mistake. He’d forgotten that the Derek of this timeline would have no reason to know him or Stiles. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated.

“So, mind explaining what this young wolf is doing at my door with a human in tow?” continued Talia.

“Derek had been telling me about your pack,” said Scott quickly before Derek could say anything. “I’m an omega and he came across me in town. Figured it was time to join a pack.”

Derek groaned. Scott had never been good at lying and there was no way that terrible lie was going to make it past his mother.

“Please don’t insult me,” said Talia calmly, but with a hint of warning in her voice. “I can tell you’re not an omega. You don’t smell like it and you don’t carry yourself like an omega. Also, you clearly didn’t just meet my son recently. Now, why don’t you try telling me the truth?”

“They’re just friends of mine, mom,” said Derek, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and pointer finger. “The wolf is Scott and the pale one’s Stiles.”

“Stiles? Really?” asked Talia.

“It’s what I go by,” shrugged Stiles.

“Alright, well, you may be friends, but that still doesn’t explain why you’re a wolf,” continued Talia. “The Hale pack is the only pack in Beacon Hills and none of the other packs are in town right now. So how did I miss another werewolf in my town?”

“Hey, everyone messes up sometimes,” said Stiles.

Derek facepalmed again as Talia turned her eyes to Stiles.

“I don’t make mistakes like that,” said Talia. “It is my family’s job to be aware of all the supernaturals in this town.”

“Yeah! We protect the town and its people, both supernatural and not,” added Laura.

“Something like this wouldn’t fly under our radar,” agreed Cora. “But you two aren’t new here. Why is it just now we noticed?”

“Cora raises a good point,” said Talia.

Derek could tell Scott and Stiles were starting to panic and he was sure his mother and sister had picked up on it, too. He had to act and fast.

“Mom, can we talk in the meeting room in the basement?” asked Derek. “Dad should come, too.”

Talia gave him a mildly confused look and said, “We can, but why?”

“I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t for a good reason,” said Derek.

“Hmm. Alright. Follow me,” said Talia, motioning to Scott and Stiles to follow her.

Scott, Stiles, and Derek followed her to the basement entrance. Noah was waiting there for them. Derek knew he’d already heard everything. Of all the Hales, his father’s hearing was probably the sharpest. Talia led them into the soundproof meeting and slid the door shut, locking the seal.

Scott recognized this room. He’d been here before in the past when they visited the Hale house before the Hale family lived there.

“So, what’s this about, Derek?” ask Talia, taking a seat at the head of the table. “Why did you need us to come here.”

“Because the less people who know the truth the better,” said Derek.

Talia and Noah shared a look, but didn’t say anything. Derek nodded at Scott, letting him know it was okay. Scott nodded back and closed his eyes. When he opened them a moment later, they  were glowing the brilliant crimson red of an alpha.

Talia and Noah’s reactions were visible. They were clearly surprised and Noah basically jumped out of his chair.

“An alpha?” asked Noah. “But how? And why? We would have known if another pack was here.”

“He’s also really young to be an alpha,” added Talia. “What family do you come from?”

“Um, the McCall family,” offered Scott, sounding unsure of himself.

“Of course. Your last name is McCall. That would make sense,” mused Talia. “But I’ve never heard of the McCall pack.”

“That’s because I’m the first,” said Scott. “No one came before me.”

“That’s not possible,” interjected Noah. “You must have inherited your alpha powers from somewhere. New alphas don’t just spontaneously appear.”

“No,” disagreed Talia, realization in her voice as a surprised smile spread across her face. “There is a way.”

“What’re you talking about?” asked Noah.

“He’s a true alpha,” replied Talia. “It’s rare, but it does happen. He must have risen on his own.”

“I do recall reading those legends, but even if that’s true, he’d still have to be turned by someone,” said Noah.

“That’s true,” agreed Talia. “So, who originally turned you?”

“This is where it gets complicated,” sighed Derek as Talia flashed him a confused look before returning her gaze to Scott.

“Peter,” answered Scott. “Peter turned me.”

Both Talia and Noah were too stunned and confused to reply. Scott smiled sheepishly at them.

“Scott, buddy, it might help if you told them we’re not from this timeline,” said Stiles.

“What do you mean?” asked Talia.

“What Stiles said is true,” answered Scott. “We’re not from this timeline. Me, Stiles, Derek. All of us come from a different timeline.”

Talia silenced her husband who was about to say something with a motion of her hand and asked, “Why?”

“Someone or something is unraveling time. We’re trying to stop it,” said Scott.

“I see. And this was your next stop?”

“Yeah. The portals took us here next. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but something is coming.”

“Then we’ll help you. It is the Hale pack’s duty to protect this town after all.”

“There’s still the matter of that one,” said Noah, pointing at Stiles. “What exactly is he?”

“His emissary,” replied Stiles nonchalantly.

“Hmm. A world druid then?” asked Talia. “A true alpha would need one after all.”

“Yeah,” said Stiles. “I am.”

“Well, it’ll be an honor to work with a true alpha and a world druid,” said Talia.

“No, it’s an honor to get to work with you, Mrs. Hale!” said Scott bashfully. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Please, Scott, call me Talia,” said Talia, smiling. “But are you sure you don’t want the rest of the family to know?”

“That’s probably the best move for now,” said Scott.

Talia nodded and said, “I’ll respect that decision for now. But don’t underestimate them. They’re far more clever than you think.”

“Trust me, I know,” said Derek, smiling fondly. “We’ll tell them when the time’s right. For now we just let them know there’s an enemy.”

“And how do you expect us to explain Scott?” asked Noah.

“We tell them the truth about him,” said Derek. “That should distract them from looking into what else we’re hiding.”

“Excellent suggestion,” said Talia, smiling proudly. “Very well. We’ll do that.”

“We should get back to the rest of the family before they get too suspicious,” said Noah.

They all agreed on that. Without further hesitation, they left the soundproof meeting room and made their way back upstairs where the others were waiting.

* * *

The black figure stood atop the Nemeton’s stump. Several swirling blue orbs of magical energy floated in front of him. Each orb showed him what was happening with a different member of the pack. He smiled. It had given him such pleasure to watch as Stiles’ mother was ripped from him. The pain and anguish was exquisite. It had been some time since he’s tasted such despair.

However, the world druid seemed more resilient than he had anticipated. Or perhaps it was simply the power of the true alpha. In spite of everything, he remained strong and never gave up. Scott made him sick. He embodied everything he despised.

But no matter. He would still crush them. He had some new ideas to try out with this timelines. Yes, the Hale family being alive her created new possibilities, new ways for him to toy with the pack and destroy time. The game had been fun for him and he enjoyed it, but it was time to begin his endgame. He couldn’t have them poking around forever after all.

He felt a small pulse beneath him. The world tree. It sensed his presence. He sneered, looking down at the stump.

“You won’t win,” he said. “You know that right? You can’t beat me and neither can they. This is my game and I am in control.”

He felt another pulse, stronger this time.

“So defiant. Just accept that I’ve bested you and your precious world druid,” he said.

Shadows poured from under his hood, seeping into the Nemeton’s stump. He smiled as he felt the energy fade away. The old tree clearly underestimated him. Still, there was much to do if his plan for this timeline was to go perfectly. They were in for quite a show. The figure dispersed into the shadows, disappearing into the forest.


	15. Encroaching Darkness

Telling the rest of the family about the Scott being a true alpha went exactly as Derek had expected. Everyone immediately became interested in him and was far too distracted to ask any other prying questions. Laura and Brandon in particular seemed to be taken with Scott who was embarrassed by all of the extra attention.

Laura was fascinated by the idea of a true alpha as she was destined to take over for Talia. The idea of someone rising on their own was intriguing to her.  Brandon seemed interested because he hadn’t seen a male alpha in a long while and he had never seen one so young. Besides that, Derek couldn’t blame him. It was another guy for him to hang. Derek was the only brother he had and Peter wasn’t that great of a person to hang out with. In spite of this, Scott seemed to be handling things well. Derek smiled. He’d known Scott would be good at this.

Scott was doing his best to field questions from all of the Hales and not be ripped in half by Laura and Brandon. He knew his true alpha nature was supposed to distract them, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad. He looked around and saw Cora leaning against a wall rolling her eyes. Looks like things didn’t change much across timelines. Scott saw the flash of light from the runes before the two small explosions happened. They were more of a surprise to everyone than anything.

“Give my friend some breathing room, will you?” said Stiles.

Everyone turned and stared at Stiles while Derek chuckled.

“What? You thought he didn’t have an emissary?” asked Stiles, smirking. “Someone’s gotta look out for him.”

“Stiles, that was a bit much,” said Scott.

“Hey, it worked,” shrugged Stiles as he grabbed Scott, pulling Scott to his side and away from the still stunned Hales.

“Laura, I need your help with something,” said Talia, striding silently into the room. “Come with me.”

“That’s not fair!” protested Laura. “Now Brandon’s going to get him to himself!”

“Laura, you are the oldest and the one who will take over for me someday,” rebuked Talia. “I expect more of you. You will have time to talk to Scott later.”

“Alright,” sighed Laura in defeat as she followed Talia out of the room.

Brandon seem pleased with that. The rest of the Hale family started to disperse, going their separate ways. It seemed they didn’t want to compete with Brandon for Scott’s attention. A few moments later, only Scott, Stiles, Derek, and Brandon were left in the room.

“Awesome,” said Brandon, a smug smile on his face. “Looks like I get you to myself for a while.”

“Not creepy at all,” said Stiles. “But not unusual for a Hale.”

Brandon gave Stiles a half confused, half offended look.

“Ignore him,” interjected Derek, shooting a glare at Stiles who just rolled his eyes. “He’s an idiot.”

“Yeah, Stiles is pretty sarcastic, but I wouldn’t have him any other way,” said Scott.

“Aww, thanks, buddy,” said Stiles, beaming.

Derek sighed. He really just couldn’t with these two sometimes. Brandon seemed to shrug off their weirdness for the moment.

“Anyway, I was hoping to get the chance to talk to you,” said Brandon. “I’ve never seen an alpha your age before.”

“Yeah, your mom said the same thing,” said Scott. “I guess most alphas have a lot more experience than me. I’m honestly not even sure what I’m doing most of the time.”

“Yeah, it’s probably hard with no one there to teach or guide you.”

“I wouldn’t say I didn’t have anyone,” said Scott, glancing quickly over at Derek who let a small smile creep across his face. “But it’s definitely been a challenge.”

“So, how big is your pack? Did you have to turn a lot of people or did you pick up omegas?” asked Brandon, not catching the look he gave Derek.

“There’s only ten of us, but it’s complicated. I’ve only turned one person and it was an accident.”

“How does that work?”

“He was about to fall off a building, but my hands were tied, so I, uh, improvised.”

“You used your teeth to hold him?!”

“Yeah…”

“I’ve definitely never heard of someone getting turned like that,” laughed Brandon. “Where is the rest of your pack though?”

“They’re around town,” answered Scott. “Stiles and I just wanted to come check in with Derek.”

“Hmm. Speaking of which, how do you two know each other?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Alright, I won’t push. So, tell me, Scott. Do you like lacrosse?”

“Yeah! I’m first line at Beacon Hills High and so is Stiles.”

“That’s great!” exclaimed Brandon, his face lighting up. “No one else in this family likes lacrosse! Derek and uncle Peter were into basketball, but nothing else. We should play sometime.”

“That’d be great!”

“No wolf powers if I’m playing!” objected Stiles.

“Then it wouldn’t be fun,” said Brandon, smirking.

“Fine, but I get to use my druid powers, too, then,” said Stiles confidently as he summoned a number of runes to float in the air around him.

Brandon’s smirk vanished in an instant.

“If you three play like that, you’ll destroy the field and attract way too much attention,” sighed Derek.

“When did you become the responsible one?” asked Brandon.

“Shut up,” said Derek.

“See what I have to live with?”

Scott and Stiles laughed. They continued talking with Brandon for a while. Scott enjoyed talking to him. They seemed to have a lot in common and it was great to talk to another werewolf with lots of experience. But now it was later afternoon and Scott remembered that they still hadn’t touched base with Braeden yet.

“Hey, Brandon, I don’t mean to cut you off, but we have to take care of something,” said Scott.

“Is everything alright?” asked Brandon, a little surprised at the abrupt end to their conversation.

“Yeah, I just realized I hadn’t heard back from one of my pack members in a while,” said Scott. “I just need to go give her a call and meet up with her.”

“Oh, ok. I understand,” said Brandon, getting up to leave. “We’ll talk again some other time. Thanks, Scott.”

“Anytime! It was great talking to you, Brandon!”

Brandon smiled and left the room. Derek gave Scott a confused look.

“Who haven’t you heard from?” asked Derek.

“Braeden,” replied Scott. “I don’t have her number yet.”

“Oh. That’s weird. I haven’t heard from her either,” said Derek. “Let’s step outside and I’ll give her a call.”

The three of them exited the house and walked down the stairs of the front porch. Just as Derek was about to retrieve his phone and call Braeden, his phone started ringing. He quickly removed it from his pocket and looked at it. It was Braeden. He answered immediately.

“Braeden?” asked Derek.

“Hey, babe!” said Braeden on the other end.

The sound of a roaring motorcycle and wind could be heard in the background, making it slightly hard to hear her.

“The me in this timeline was apparently out on a job a good ways from Beacon Hills,” continued Braeden. “I wrapped it up and collected the payment. I’m on my way back. I shouldn’t be that much longer. Dinner on me when I get back. This one paid well.”

“Are you alright, Braeden?” asked Derek.

“Oh, yeah! It was just a typical job, Derek. No problems and no need to worry. I’ll be back soon. Everything okay over there?”

“Yeah, we’re good. We were just wondering where you were.”

“Sorry about that. I meant to check in sooner. Any idea what kind of timeline we’re dealing with here?”

“Yeah, we know exactly what’s different.”

“Well, what is it?”

“My family’s alive.”

Derek heard the gasp Braeden made over the background noise.

“Derek…” started Braeden. “Are you alright?”

“I’m okay, Braeden. I promise,” answered Derek. “This is a beta timeline.”

“Okay. I’ll hurry to get back there.”

“Just be safe, Braeden.”

“Always am.”

“See you soon.”

“Can’t wait.”

Derek hung up the phone and looked at Scott and Stiles.

“Looks like she’s fine,” said Scott with a smile.

“Yeah, she is,” said Derek.

“We should meet up with everyone else and wait for her to get back into town,” said Stiles.

“Yeah, I agree,” said Scott. “But where should we go?”

“My loft,” said Derek. “It should just be an abandoned building in this timeline. That’s how it was before I bought it.”

“Sounds good,” said Scott. “Let’s go.”

* * *

The pack met up at the place that was Derek’s loft in their timeline. Derek was right. In this timeline, it was just an old abandoned building. Each step they took as the climbed the stairs to his loft stirred up thick layers of dust. The door to the loft was also rusted and heard to slide. Derek was able to force it aside.

The inside of the loft was no better. Everything was covered in at least of decade of dust and cobwebs were everywhere. The windows were so filthy that almost none of the sun made it through.

“Well, this is just lovely,” said Lydia.

“I don’t own this building in this timeline,” said Derek. “It was like this before I cleaned it up.”

“You did a hell of a job then,” said a familiar voice.

Everyone turned around to see Braeden standing in the doorway of the loft. Derek’s face lit up immediately. Braeden smiled at the sight.

“Looks like we’re all here,” said Scott.

“It isn’t much, but it’ll have to do,” said Jayce. “We don’t want all the Hales to know what’s going on yet and our families are unaware of the supernatural.”

“It’s fine,” said Kira. “We just need it as a place to met.”

“Right,” agreed Allison. “So, you said the Hale family is alive in this timeline, right?”

“Yes,” said Derek. “My mom and dad know what’s going on and have agreed to help us.”

“Speaking of which, have we seen any tears or any signs of that black figure?” asked Malia.

“Not yet,” said Stiles. “But we just got here.”

“We always have to wait,” said Liam. “We should try and find him.”

“That’d be ideal, but he moves through the shadows,” said Jayce. “It’s hard to track him that way.”

“We don’t have any idea who are what he is either really,” added Lydia. “Which is a problem.”

“All we really know is they’re powerful and I can sense something about him,” said Kira.

“No, there’s something else,” said Stiles, almost sounding nervous.

Scott gave Stiles a concerned look.

Stiles, you don’t have to tell them. It’s okay.

It’s not helping anyone to keep it hidden. And it’s only gotten worse, Scott. The last time we saw him right in front of us, I know I’ve felt that before.

Alright. If you’re sure, Stiles.

“What is it?” asked Isaac.

“I can’t quite explain it, but ever since we arrived in the first timeline, I’ve felt it,” explained Stiles. “It’s just a feeling, a darkness. But it’s more than that. It feels familiar and that feeling has only gotten stronger.”

“That’s really weird,” said Allison. “Why would it feel familiar?”

“I don’t know, but it’s something worth mentioning,” answered Stiles.

“Indeed. Every bit of information is important. Thanks, Stiles,” said Jayce. “We’ll have to try and figure it out later.”

“Jayce is right,” said Derek. “It’s starting to get late. Your families will wonder why you’re out so late if you stay much longer. We’ll meet up with my family tomorrow to try and find anything.”

“Tomorrow then,” said Scott.

Everyone went their separate ways for the night, although Derek insisted that Braeden stay with him. He said he’d find a way to explain her to his family if they asked. She laughed and went with him.

* * *

Darkness had fallen on Beacon Hills. It was a quiet, moonless night. The dark figure stood in front of the Hale Family House. It was time to plant the seeds for what he had in store. The dark energy flowed out from under his robes, drifting through the air like a black mist. The energy made its way to the house, seeping into every nook and cranny. Inside the house, the shadowy mist found its way to each of the Hales and quickly rushed into them. The only one it left alone was Derek.

He smiled as the shadows receded back to him, hiding under his robes once more. His work was done. Soon, the spell would take hold and then the fun would begin. He didn’t anticipate the same strength of reaction as he had gotten from Stiles, but it would still be good. Besides, this was something different that he hadn’t tried yet. After all, it was boring to just do the same thing every time. He couldn’t wait to see how it would unfold and how his enemies would handle it. He wondered if they would actually be able to find the solution to this before it was too late. He shrugged and walked towards the woods, vanishing into the darkness of the trees once more.

 


	16. Darkness Lingers

The next morning, the pack assembled at the Hale Family House. Once everyone was there, Scott introduced each member of his pack, stopping just short of including Derek. He realized that wouldn’t make sense in this timeline.

Everyone seemed surprised by the diversity of Scott’s pack, including Talia. Scott knew it wasn’t unusual for humans to be part of a pack, but Allison was a hunter. There was also a werecoyote, a banshee, a bounty hunter, and a waterbender. Even Scott had to admit his pack was pretty unique, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. They were his best and closest friends.

“This is quite the pack you’ve got, Scott,” said Talia as she looked over everyone. “You’ve got several rarities. Even a hunter.”

“About that,” said Peter. “Isn’t it a bit odd to have a hunter in your pack?”

“It’s a long story,” said Scott with a sigh.

“Just know I’m very loyal to this pack,” said Allison, ferocity in her voice. “Don’t ever question that.”

“Right,” said Peter, sounding very unconvinced.

“If Scott trusts her as part of his pack, then who are we to question it?” asked Talia. “I look forward to working with you, Allison. It will be interesting to work with a hunter rather than fight one.”

“Thank you. I hope I’ll be helpful,” said Allison.

“Moving along,” interrupted Stiles. “We need to start looking into what’s going on here.”

“Yeah, our mom briefed us on what’s going on,” said Laura. “There’s some kind of rogue magician in town and you’re trying to find him before he causes any problems.”

“That’s the gist of it,” said Scott.

“I think it might be best if we divide into small groups or teams, wouldn’t you agree, Scott?” asked Talia.

“Yeah, we can cover more ground that way,” agreed Scott.

“Excellent,” said Talia. “Allison and Lydia, you’re with me. We’re going to do some research in the library.”

Allison and Lydia looked at each other, shrugged, and followed Talia downstairs to the library in the basement.

“I call Scott!” proclaimed Laura, grabbing Scott’s arm.

“You realize I’m coming with you, too, then,” said Stiles.

“I don’t care,” retorted Laura.

“Guess, I’m with you and Braeden, bro,” said Brandon, flashing a huge grin at Derek. “I could use the chance to get to know my little brother’s lovely girlfriend.”

Braeden laughed as Derek’s face turned a very deep shade of red. Brandon slapped Derek on the back and smiled.

“Don’t worry, Derek. I won’t embarrass you too much,” said Brandon.

“You realize we have a job to do, right?” said Derek, attempting to defend himself.

“Oh, I think we could fit some storytime in while we work,” said Braeden. “Besides, your brother wants to get to know me. No harm in that.”

Derek sighed. There was no winning this battle. Just as he was about to follow Brandon and Braeden out of the house, Petter placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“What is it?” asked Derek.

“I know you’re hiding something,” said Peter. “I saw the way you acted at lunch yesterday. And now a true alpha and his world druid have appeared. That’s no coincidence.”

“How did you-?” started Derek.

“Know he was a world druid?” finished Peter. “Simple. A true alpha always needs a world druid. They go hand in hand. So, something magical is going on. I thought I felt it. Looks like I was right.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, now, Derek, you’ve never been good at lying.”

“No, that’d be your strong suit.”

“Well, I won’t deny that. Either way, just know that while you may have the rest of the family fooled, you haven’t fooled me. Good luck with your mission.”

Peter walked out of the room before Derek could respond. He wasn’t sure what he should do with that, but for now he decided it’d be best just to carry on as usual. He ran outside to catch up with Brandon and Braeden.

Everyone else began to break up into groups and go their separate ways. Scott, Stiles, and Laura set out for the preserve. Stiles said he felt drawn to the Nemeton, so they decided it would be their first stop in the preserve. On the way, Laura bombarded Scott with questions.

“So, what’s it like being an alpha while being so young?” asked Laura.

“Well, it’s challenging and I’ve had to think on my feet, but I think I’ve done a good job so far,” answered Scott.

“You’ve done a damn good job, Scott,” said Stiles. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“What’s it like being a true alpha? I’d never even heard of one before my mom told us about you,” asked Laura.

“I don’t know,” replied Scott. “I guess it’s not much different than a normal alpha. I have the same powers and abilities. Though I did manage to break a circle of mountain ash once.”

“You what?!” shouted Laura in surprise. “No way! You’ve got to be kidding me. Mountain ash blocks the supernatural.”

“Nope, he did it,” said Stiles. “Broke through the barrier and took down the darach inside of it.”

“That’s amazing,” said Laura in awe. “I guess a true alpha really is on a whole different level.”

“I’m really nothing special,” said Scott bashfully, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

“I’m supposed to be the next alpha for the Hale family,” said Laura, suddenly sounding serious. “But I just don’t know if I have what it takes. Mom’s been teaching me for a while now, but I don’t know if I can live up to her.”

“You’ll make a great alpha, Laura,” Scott said confidently. “You don’t need to try and be your mother. Be your own alpha. Forge your own way. You may not be just like your mom, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be a great alpha. The Hale family will be lucky to have you as their alpha.”

“You really think so?” asked Laura, a huge smile spreading across her face.

“Yeah, definitely,” replied Scott, returning the smile.

Stiles rolled his eyes and said, “Scotty, if her head gets any bigger, she’s going to float away.”

Laura glared at Stiles and Scott laughed.

“Still, I think she’ll be a good alpha when the time comes,” said Scott.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re probably right,” admitted Stiles.

“Thanks, guys. Really,” said Laura sincerely.

As their conversation finished, they arrived at the Nemeton’s clearing. Everything seemed normal. Scott gave Stiles a confused look.

“Everything looks fine, Stiles,” said Scott. “Are you sure you feel drawn here?”

“Yeah,” confirmed Stiles. “There’s something here. I just don’t know what.”

“I don’t see anything either,” said Laura.

“Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there,” said Stiles. “Let me try something.”

Stiles reached into one of the pouches on his belt and withdrew a small handful of powder from it. He placed that hand on the ground and several glyphs and runes began to appear, forming a glowing magic circle. After a moment, a pulse of magical energy emitted from the magic circle, passing through the entire clearing.

As if on queue, a black mist began to billow up from the Nemeton’s stump. The three of them looked around to see more of the black mist appearing throughout the clearing. The mist coming from the Nemeton’s stump began to take on a shape. Scott and Stiles recognized it immediately. It was the mysterious black figure that they’d encountered  several times before. The image turned to face them. Stiles quickly broke the magic circle, ending the spell. The figure dissipated along with the rest of the black mist.

“What the hell was that?” asked Laura.

“A magic detection spell,” explained Stiles. “It picks up residual magic that gets left behind. All spells leave it to some extent. He was here. That’s undeniable.”

“Who was he?” asked Laura.

“We don’t know,” answered Scott. “We just know he’s been causing all kind of trouble. We need to find him and stop him before it’s too late.”

Scott almost didn’t notice in time, but Laura suddenly collapsed. At the last second, Scott caught her, preventing her from collapsing in a heap on the ground. Laura’s eyes fluttered and she seemed dazed.

“Laura, are you okay?” asked Scott, his concern apparent.

“Huh? What happened?” asked Laura, still sounding dazed.

“You collapsed, but I caught you,” answered Scott.

“I just remember feeling really dizzy and hot,” said Laura, her voice and gaze steadying. “The next thing I knew, you said I collapsed.”

“Maybe she’s sick,” suggested Stiles.

“No, we don’t get sick. You should know that,” said Laura. “I think I’m just tired. I had nightmares last night.”

“Nightmares? About what?” asked Scott.

“I don’t really remember it well,” said Laura. “I just remember there being fire everywhere and I was afraid.”

Scott and Stiles looked at each other in surprise. They both knew the relation between the Hale family and fire, but that never happened in this timeline. There was no reason for them to have that kind of connection here. Laura noticed their odd behavior.

“Don’t worry about it,” dismissed Laura as she got back on her feet. “It was just a nightmare. They happen.”

“I guess,” said Scott sounding unconvinced.

“Either way, we need to meet back up with everyone and let them know that he’s definitely here,” said Stiles.

“Stiles is right. We should go,” agreed Laura.

Scott gave Laura one more concerned look before nodding in agreement. The trio set off for the Hale Family House.

* * *

Brandon, Derek, and Braeden decided to check out the outskirts of the town. There were several vantage points that gave an excellent view of all of Beacon Hills and it was an area that was rarely visited. Braeden and Brandon had been talking almost the entire way. Derek sighed as they burst into another fit. Brandon seemed intent on telling her as many baby stories as he could remember.

“Well, I think that’s all the good ones,” said Brandon.

“Thanks for sharing. They were great,” said Braeden.

Brandon looked over at Derek and noticed his particularly grumpy demeanor. He frowned.

“Derek, you know I don’t mean anything by it, right?” asked Brandon. “It’s just kind of a traditional older brother thing, y’know?”

“Yeah,” replied Derek.

“Derek, it’s nothing serious,” said Braeden.

“I know,” said Derek.

Brandon sighed and said, “Look, I’m sorry, Derek. I didn’t mean to upset you. You’re my only brother. I just wanted to embarrass you little.”

Derek stopped walking. He realized he was being selfish and a little bit petty. He should be enjoying his time with his brother, not being upset at him for doing what every brother does. He turned around and smiled at Brandon.

“I’m not upset, Brandon,” said Derek. “Just expect the same from me whenever you bring your girlfriend around.”

Brandon’s face lit up with a grin and he said, “Fair enough. But I won’t be stupid enough to bring her near you.”

“Guess I’ll just have to find her on my own,” laughed Derek.

Braeden smiled. She was glad Derek wasn’t really taking it to heart. Honestly, she was enjoying getting to meet his family as much as he was. She never had the chance in their timeline, so this was good. It also made her realize just how much Derek had lost. She’d never realized how big his family had been or how close they’d been. Although, Braeden still didn’t understand how they messed up so bad with Peter. She guessed there was always one in every family.

“So, Braeden,” said Brandon. “I told you a lot about Derek, but I really should get to know you, too. How’d you two meet?”

Braeden had to admit Derek’s face was priceless right now. The story of how they actually met wouldn’t work here because of the way this world was and Derek looked like he was about to panic. Fortunately, Braeden was no stranger to having to think on her feet and craft elaborate yet believable lies.

“Well, one of my jobs brought me into town,” started Braeden. “I was looking for a specific supernatural creature, one who had killed a member of my client’s family. While I was tracking it, I ran into Derek. As luck would have it, the creature I was hunting ambushed us while I was distracted. With Derek’s help, we were able to scare it off.”

“But you still had to catch it right?” asked Brandon, clearly taken in by the story already.

“Exactly,” continued Braeden. “Derek apologized for costing me my mark and agreed to help me catch it. His werewolf sense made tracking it down a lot easier. This time we ambushed it and I was able to take it down easily. Derek gave me his number and said if I ever needed help again while I was in town, I’m usually not one to let myself be tied down, but Derek was sweet and cute. And more of my jobs brought me here, so we kept running into each other. So, here we are.”

“Wow!” said Brandon, his eyes wide like a little kid who had just heard an epic tale. “Derek, you didn’t tell me your girlfriend was a total badass! She’s so cool.”

“You sound like a 5 year old, Brandon,” laughed Derek.

“He’s not wrong though. I am pretty cool and a badass,” said Braeden with a sly smile.

“I didn’t say you weren’t,” said Derek, returning the smile.

“Do you two need a room?” asked Brandon, raising an eyebrow at them.

“We’ll be fine,” said Braeden. “Besides, we have a job to do, don’t we?”

“True,” agreed Brandon. “We can keep talking though. How long have you been doing bounty hunting, Braeden?”

“Hmm. It feels like forever, but I think I actually took my first job when I was seventeen,” replied Braeden.

“Wow! That’s young for that line of work,” said Brandon.

“I’ve seen kids younger than that take on much more,” said Braeden, shooting Derek a knowing look. “You’d be surprised what people can handle especially when it’s important to them.”

“I guess you’re right. None of the kids in the pack ever had to worry about stuff like that. Mom and dad always took care of everything until Laura was ready to help. We didn’t have to worry about anything besides learning to control our powers and being kids. We had it pretty good growing up, huh, Derek?”

Derek was taken aback for a moment. He’d lost his family as a teenager. He’d had to fend for himself and deal with so much like Braeden said. He wasn’t like this other Derek who never had that. He caught Braeden’s look, telling him he was taking too long.

“Yeah, growing up was pretty easy,” said Derek quickly. “It was nice having to only focus on school and basketball.”

“You had friends, too,” added Brandon. “You were one of the most popular kids at school. Probably because you were their basketball star.”

“Yeah, probably just that,” agreed Derek, looking down at the ground.

“It looks like we’re here,” said Braeden. “This is the outskirt of town. Let’s split up and meet back here in a couple of hours. If we find anything urgent, just call.”

Derek and Brandon nodded and the three of them split up.

A few hours later, they regrouped. They had found nothing of interest. It seemed the figure hadn’t been lurking around the outskirts of town. Derek checked his phone. He had a text from Scott saying that they had found something and were heading back to the house.

“Scott found something,” said Derek. “They’re heading back to the house.”

“We should get going then,” said Braeden.

Derek looked over at Brandon who hadn’t said anything yet. He was holding his head in his hands and cringing in pain.

“Brandon, are you alright?” asked Derek.

“I just got this huge headache,” said Brandon. “It’s weird. I had the same kind of headache when I woke up this morning from that terrible nightmare.”

“What kind of nightmare?” asked Derek.

“There was fire everywhere. There were others, too, but I don’t know who,” replied Brandon. “I was on fire, too. I was burning. It felt so real. But then I woke up. It was just a bad dream.”

The color had completely drained from Derek’s face and a look of contained terror had worked its way across his face.

“Derek, are you okay?” asked Brandon. “It was just a nightmare. There’s no reason to freak out.”

“I… Uh…” stammered Derek.

Braeden stepped in between them.

“Derek, it’s fine,” she said comfortingly. “It was just a nightmare. We need to get back so that we can talk to Scott.”

She placed emphasis on talking to Scott. Derek knew what she meant. That they should tell him about this. She was right. Derek quickly gathered his composure.

“Right, we need to get going,” concurred Derek. “How’s your headache, Brandon?”

“It’s passing now, actually,” said Brandon, a small smile on his face. “Told you there was nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, I guess not,” said Derek.

The three of them headed back to the Hale Family House.

 

 


	17. Darkness Gathers

Scott, Stiles, and Laura were the first to make it back to the Hale house. Scott had texted everyone on the way back to the house. Talia, Allison, and Lydia walked up the stairs from the basement as they entered the house.

“You found something?” asked Allison.

“Yeah, but I think we should wait for everyone to get back first,” said Scott.

“Yes, that would be best,” agreed Talia. “Once everyone’s here, we can use the meeting room in the basement.”

“Thanks, Talia,” said Scott.

Talia simply nodded at him before descending the stairs once more to prepare the room. Scott and the others waited for the rest of the pack to return.

A short while later, everyone was back at the Hale house. Scott led them down the stairs and into the soundproof meeting room. Everyone took a seat around the large table.

“Alright,” began Scott. “Before I start, did anyone else find anything?”

Everyone shook their heads. That was what Scott had expected from them. Finding any trace of this guy had been next to impossible.

“Okay. Then I’ll go ahead,” continued Scott. “We went to the Nemeton’s clearing because Stiles felt drawn there. We didn’t see anything at first, but then Stiles used a magic detection spell. He’d been there.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” said Laura. “That looked like more than him just being there. I mean there was black mist and even a clone of him.”

“Let me explain before Laura freaks everyone out,” interjected Stiles. “The spell reveals if magic was used somewhere. He clearly used a good bit of magic there. I don’t know what or why, but he was definitely there. And if he’s already used that much magic, it’s probably safe to assume that he’s already made his move.”

“If that’s the case, we’ll start to see whatever he’s done soon,” said Jayce.

“Right,” agreed Scott. “So we should all keep an eye out for anything strange. We know it’s coming, we just don’t know when or what it’ll be exactly.”

“We’ll be ready,” said Braeden confidently.

“She’s right,” said Derek. “Whatever comes, we can handle it.”

“We’ll be here to help, too,” said Laura. “It’s our job after all!”

“Laura’s right,” said Brandon, a confident smile on his face. “It’s our job to protect this town. We’ll help stop whatever it is he’s doing.”

Scott smiled warmly at them and said, “Thanks. We can definitely use all the help we can get.”

It would definitely be a huge help to have the entire Hale pack working with them. But what happened to Laura weighed on his mind. He wasn’t sure what to make of it yet, but he needed to tell Talia.

“That’s it for now. I need to talk to the rest of my pack and Talia,” said Scott. “Can you clear the room for us?”

Talia shot Scott a subtle, but questioning look as the rest of the Hales nodded and started to get up. They left the room, leaving only Scott’s pack and Talia and Noah.

“What’s wrong?” asked Talia.

“When we were out with Laura, something happened,” explained Scott. “She suddenly collapsed. When she came to, she said she felt really hot. She also mentioned nightmares about a fire.”

Talia and Noah shared a concerned look. Scott was sure they knew something.

“You already knew,” said Scott.

“Not about her fainting,” said Noah.

“But we had nightmares, too,” said Talia. “Some of the younger ones told us about their nightmares.”

“They’re not the only ones. Brandon had a problem similar to Laura’s while we were out,” added Derek. “He had a headache instead of feeling faint though.”

“All the kids said their nightmares were about fire and burning,” said Talia. “Noah and I had the same type of nightmare. What’s going on?”

“That’s way more than three incidents. This isn’t just a coincidence,” said Stiles. “Something’s going on and I bet it has to do with what are guy is doing to this timeline.”

“But why fire?” asked Talia. “There hasn’t been a major fire in Beacon Hills for decades.”

Scott looked away for a moment, looking at Derek who had a particularly serious look on his face. Everyone else looked equally on edge.

“Scott, I can hear your heartbeat and the rest of your pack’s rising,” said Talia. “Beyond that, it’s written all over your faces. What’s wrong? Why would my question cause such a visceral reaction?”

Scott took a deep breath while Derek cast his eyes to the ground, drawing a confused look from Talia.

“This is hard for me to say and it’s especially hard for Derek,” started Scott. “In our timeline, there was a fire. It was started by a rogue hunter.”

Scott saw the color beginning to drain from Talia’s face as her expression grew more taught. She knew what was coming. Scott didn’t like to be the bearer of bad news, but she wanted to know and, considering what was happening, she probably needed to know.

“The fire killed everyone in the Hale family. Men, women, children, human, werewolf. It took them all. Only Derek, Cora, Laura, and Peter managed to escape the fire, but Peter was badly burned and locked in a coma for a good while.”

Talia and Noah stood there in stunned silence. Scott knew this wasn’t easy for them to hear. He wanted to give them as much time as he could. After a minute, Talia finally spoke again.

“I see,” she said, still sounding stunned by the news, although she was rapidly regaining her composure. “But that never happened in this timeline.”

“Right,” said Scott. “The fire never happened here. That’s the difference.”

“So that begs the question, why are we having nightmares about something that never happened?” said Talia.

“I don’t know,” replied Scott.

“But that’s why we wanted to tell you,” said Stiles, picking up where Scott left off as if he had just been talking. “It’s most likely something to do with what the guy we’re after is doing to this timeline.”

“But what is he doing?” asked Noah. “Torturing us with memories and nightmares that aren’t our own?”

“No, it wouldn’t be something that simple,” answered Stiles.

“It’s got to be something related to breaking down or destroying the timeline,” said Jayce. “That’s his goal.”

“We need more information to go on,” said Lydia. “We know what he’s doing, but only in a  vague way. We need to figure this out.”

“What can we do in the meantime?” asked Talia.

“Right now, I’m not sure there’s anything we can do,” said Stiles. “Like Lydia said, we need more to go on.”

“This guy is also patient,” added Scott. “He waits until just the right moment to strike. He’ll be hard to track down.”

“Then what would you have me do?” asked Talia.

“I think the best thing we can do is just wait and keep an eye on everyone,” answered Scott.

“Perhaps it would be a good idea to have your pack stay here,” suggested Talia. “If something happens, you should be nearby.”

Scott nodded and said, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Hopefully nothing will happen though.”

“It’s always best to be prepared,” said Talia. “We have some spare guest rooms. They should be ready for you.”

“Thanks, Talia,” said Scott.

With the meeting at an end, the pack split up into different rooms for the night. Scott and Stiles opted to share a room. They had just sat down on the bed when there was a knock at their door. Scott and Stiles shared a confused look since they didn’t expect anyone. Scott answered the door. It was Liam.

“Liam?” said Scott. “Everything alright?”

“Not really,” responded Liam.

Scott could smell the fear and uncertainty on Liam. He could hear Liam’s hammering heart. Then Scott noticed that Liam was fiddling with his necklace, the one Stiles had made. If he removed it, he’d be sent back to their timeline and away from all of this. Liam was scared and, honestly, Scott couldn’t blame him.

“Why don’t you come in, Liam?” Scott suggested softly as he motioned for Liam to enter the room.

Liam nodded and entered the room, following Scott. Scott sat down on the bed, leaving a space between him and Stiles. Scott patted the open spot on the bed and Liam took his seat there.

“What’s on your mind, Liam?” asked Scott.

“It’s just a lot to deal with and take in,” said Liam, still absentmindedly toying with his necklace. “I’ve been trying to be strong like you and roll with everything, but…”

“It’s okay, Liam,” said Scott reassuringly. “This is all still new to you. I was scared and confused, too, when I was first turned. Still am sometimes, but I’ve come to rely on and trust my friends, my pack.”

“We’ve got your back, Liam,” added Stiles. “We’re here for you. Remember, coach said we’re supposed to look out for each other. We’re all part of this pack. We all look out for each other.”

“I know, but still, time travel is a bit much,” said Liam. “There’s a lot at risk and this seems weird even by our standards.”

“Well, I can honestly say we’ve never had to hop through time before,” said Scott. “But we move forward. We always do.”

“Even after watching a timeline get ripped away right in front of you? Watching your family blink out of existence?” asked Liam.

Stiles looked away as his expression dropped. Scott knew that was a bad move by Liam, and he felt the negativity flow from Stiles into him, but Stiles’ response surprised him.

“Yeah,” said Stiles. “Even then, we still move forward. We have to.”

Scott smiled. He appreciated Stiles being strong while Liam was scared, even if it was partially an act.

“It’s just the simple? Move forward?” asked Liam.

“No, it’s not,” said Scott. “But it gets easier with experience and time. You’re strong Liam, but don’t be afraid to rely on the strength of others, okay?”

“Okay,” said Liam.

“And you should probably stop playing with that necklace,” added Stiles, finally looking back at Liam. “If you pull it off, you’re on a one way trip back to our timeline. I can’t bring you back.”

Liam seemed to have finally realized what he had been doing and his eyes widened. He quickly let go of the necklace, letting it fall back against his chest.

“Sorry, I didn’t-” started Liam.

“Liam, it’s alright,” said Scott, placing a hand on Liam’s shoulder and smiling. “You were just preoccupied.”

Liam looked up at Scott and smiled appreciatively.

“Feeling better now?” asked Scott.

“Yeah,” said Liam. “A lot.”

“You’ll be fine, Liam,” said Stiles. “Just keep it up a little while longer.”

“Thanks, guys. I appreciate it,” said Liam.

“Now, go get some rest,” said Scott. “You probably need it.”

‘Yeah. Goodnight, guys,” said Liam as he got up to leave.

A moment later and he was gone. Stiles breathed a sigh of relief.

“He’s a handful,” said Stiles.

“Yeah, but he’s a good kid,” said Scott.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Thanks, Stiles.”

“For what?”

“For being good with him. And for being strong when he hit you in a sore spot.”

“Yeah, no problem. Why don’t we take that advice you gave Liam and get some rest? I’m pretty tired myself.”

“Yeah, it is pretty late. Alright. Goodnight, Stiles.”

“‘Night, Scotty.”

Moments later, they were sound asleep.

* * *

The black figure stood outside of the Hale Family House once again. He couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity. They had literally done exactly what he wanted and he hadn’t even needed to really manipulate them. A malevolent grin spread across his face as the black energy crept towards the house again. It was time to speed things up. He was going to gave a lot of fun watching this particular brand of chaos unfold. He couldn’t wait.

 


	18. Bleeding Over

Derek slept soundly, Braeden wrapped gently in his arms. Her back was pressed against his chest. Times like these were among the few when Derek found he could actually sleep peacefully, free of the nightmares that haunted him some nights. He felt secure with her as she did with him. For now, they could forget that they were racing against time to fight an enemy they didn’t know. It was tranquil.

A ear-shattering scream shattered that tranquility. Derek was on his feet in an instant as was Braeden, gun in her hand already. Derek recognized that scream. A scream laced with pain, anguish, and confusion. It was Brandon.

What happened next made Derek’s blood run cold. He couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t possible. But that smell was unmistakable. It was a smell Derek could never, ever forget no matter how hard he tried. It was the smell of smoke and burning wood and flesh.

Derek and Braeden grabbed their pants and quickly pulled them up as they ran out into the hallway.

Just as they entered the hallway, everyone else started to make their way into the hallway. Everyone was still in their pajamas. Scott and Stiles stumbled clumsily out of their room in their haste. Allison and Braeden tried not to laugh and Lydia just rolled her eyes at them as they quickly regained their composure.

Derek ignored them and quickly scanned the area. He didn’t see any smoke, but he could still smell it. Another cry resounded throughout the house followed quickly by another and another until it became a chorus of screams of agony. Scott turned to look at Derek.

“You smell it too, right?” asked Scott.

“Yeah,” answered Derek. “It’s a smell I’ll never forget.”

“But there’s no smoke,” observed Stiles. “So what’s going on?”

“And what about those screams?” asked Lydia. “I think we should figure out what’s going on with that before we do anything else.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” agreed Scott. “Let’s go.”

The pack took off down the hallway, heading in the direction of the screams. As they turned the corner, they came across a disturbing image.

Brandon stood before them. The area around him seemed to warp and distort at random. Brandon was babbling incoherently at varying volumes. They could occasionally make out a phrase like “It burns.” and “I’m dead… No… Alive?…”.

“Brandon?” asked Derek, slowly approaching him. “It’s me, Derek. Are you okay?”

Suddenly, Brandon was engulfed by flames. He screeched as his pale skin burnt, turning from red to black as the charred flesh curled away as his hair finally caught fire, incinerating his scalp. All the while, the warp and distortion continued to exist around him. Derek leapt backwards in surprise and horror.

Brandon suddenly took off running towards the main stairway of the house. The pack followed after Brandon. As they ran, Scott could swear he saw distorted flames appear and disappear at the edges of his vision.

As they reached the stairway, Brandon kept running and tumbled down the stairs. When he reached the bottom, the flames had vanished and his skin was normal once more. He had returned to babbling incoherently again.

Derek looked around the entrance hall of the house and saw the rest of his family there, his mother, his father, Laura, his cousins. They were all experiencing the same thing as Brandon was. Derek noticed his cousins, who had been kids at the time of the fire, kept morphing between their teenage and child selves as they burst into and out of flame.

Cora was rocking back in forth in a corner, her eyes wide with a look of absolute bewilderment upon her face. She kept repeating the same thing over and over again.

“They’re dead. They’re all dead. My whole family is gone. I’m all alone.”

“What the hell is going on here?” asked Braeden, standing still, watching everything with shocked eyes.

“I don’t know, but it’s definitely something to do with whoever’s trying to destroy the timelines,” answered Stiles.

“But we’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Scott. “What is it?”

“A bleed over,” said Lydia, her voice almost distant, as if having a stunned realization. “It’s a bleed over.”

“What’s that?” asked Liam.

“It’s when two timelines begin to merge or collide,” explained Lydia. “The events of our timeline, the alpha timeline, are bleeding over into this one. And, well, you see what the effect is.”

“How is that going to destroy the timeline though?” asked Malia. “It’s not a tear or rip.”

“No, it’s worse than that,” said Lydia. “If the timelines are bleeding over like this, they’re becoming dangerously close to colliding. If they collide, they’ll both be destroyed.”

“And if the alpha timeline falls,” started Stiles.

“All the timelines fall,” finished Scott.

“Exactly,” said Lydia. “So we need to hurry up and-”

Lydia was cut off by a loud cracking sound, almost like wood splintering. Suddenly, the entire house was engulfed in flames, but they weren’t normal flames. Much like Derek’s family, they were warped and distorted, fading in and out of a proper existence. That didn’t make them any less hot though.

“Well that’s just great,” said Lydia.

“You were saying we needed to hurry,” said Allison.

“Wait a minute,” said Derek, surveying the area again. “Where’s Peter?”

“Looking for me, boys?” asked a demented sounding voice.

The pack whirled around to see a horrific sight. It was Peter, that much was certain, but he was monstrous. Half of his body was badly burned as if the fire had just happened. Occasionally, a piece of skin would peel and fall from his face. His other half was his monstrous alpha form from when he was still an alpha. One eye was crimson red and the other ice blue.

Scott could hear his heart pulsating in his ears. He shuddered, remembering the night Peter had attacked them in the school. The night Peter almost forced him to kill his friends. At the time, Scott hadn’t known who that monstrosity was, but he did now. Seeing the misshapen, frankenstein version of Peter reawakened the fear he had felt that night.

A warm, calming presence pierced the cold dread that had taken hold of his mind.

_Scotty, it’s alright._

It was Stiles.

_I’m here. So is everyone else. You don’t have to face him alone. We’ll take him down. Together. There’s no reason to be afraid of this jerk._

Scott smiled as he closed his eyes, his fear vanishing. Of course. This time was different. This time he wasn’t alone. This time HE was the alpha. Scott snapped his eyes open, once again glowing their deep crimson red, and he roared.

The sound reverberated throughout the Hale House. A huge grin spread across Stiles’ face as his best friend roared. Stiles’ eyes began to glow their familiar forest green. Derek smiled proudly. Scott had truly come into being his own alpha.

Peter’s face was a distorted wash of pure rage and insanity. He seemed to be unphased by Scott’s roar as he let out a laugh that sounded more monstrous and distorted than human.

“I’m the alpha, Scott,” said Peter. “You did this. You and that twig of an emissary. Derek’s to blame, too. I’ll destroy ALL of you!”

The rest of the pack moved to prepare themselves for combat, but Stiles raised a hand to stop them.

“No,” said Stiles. “Scott and I’ve got this.”

Scott nodded and the rest of the pack backed down. Scott and Stiles’ twin tattoos began to glow with a bright green light. From that tattoo, lines of green energy began to branch off, flowing across their bodies as they formed the runic tattoos of the soul link. Scott’s left transitioned from its alpha red to the deep forest green of the world druid. At the same time, Stiles’ left eye began to glow with the crimson red of the true alpha. The soul link was complete.

The grotesque version of Peter that stood before them rolled his head, cracking his neck with a sickening sound as he did. Peter let out a roar of laughter that dripped with insanity.

“Scott… I remember you,” said Peter. “I know what you did. What you did to me. What you ALL did to me. I remember the fire, too.”

Peter’s face twisted, partially from the warped time around him and partially of his own volition.

“You think you can take ME?!” roared Peter. “Well, come on then! Take me!”

Without further hesitation, Peter lumbered towards them.

Scott and Stiles remained calm, each adopting a fighting stance. They knew no one could stop them in this state where their very thoughts were shared, especially not a wild and rampaging Peter. Just before Peter reached them, Stiles raised a barrier with a simple glyph. Peter slammed head first into it, knocking him back and stunning him.

Scott was already moving before Peter came to a halt on the floor. Stiles dropped the barrier for Scott just before he reached it. In an instant, Scott was next to Peter. He grabbed Peter and flung him into a wall. Peter was stunned for a second before regaining his composure.

Peter ran at Stiles again, saliva dripping from the fangs of his wolf half. Stiles summoned another barrier, but Peter reacted this time and darted around it. He was close to getting to Stiles. Peter swung with all of his might as he leapt forward.

He collided with Scott’s arms. Before Peter had realized it, Scott had put himself between Peter and Stiles and braced himself for the hit. The impact should have sent Scott flying, but he was able to hold his ground. Stiles grinned from behind Scott. Stiles’ hand was on Scott’s back and there were multiple runes glowing on Scott’s back around Stiles’ hand. He’d augmented Scott at the last second.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” said Stiles, smirking smugly at Peter.

Peter growled and swiped at them with his wolf half’s claws. Scott grabbed the arm by the wrist, stopping it. Peter looked confused, but he didn’t have long to be because Scott nailed him with a kick to the abdomen that sent him flying backwards again. Stiles’ augmentation runes were still active on him.

Stiles pressed his hand against Scott’s back, placing one more rune before falling back to a better position for casting. Scott stayed close to Peter to handle the melee.

_Scott,  I’m going to try and root him. Give me time to cast and try to keep him in place._

_Got it._

Peter was beginning to move again. Scott moved to intercept him, leading with a punch. Peter blocked it, but the hit still took a toll. Scott and Peter kept exchanging blows, although Scott’s strength and speed far outstripped Peter’s. The challenge for Scott was trying to keep peter in roughly the same space.

Stiles didn’t need that long to cast the spell, but he did need a minute. While Scott distracted Peter, he called the runes and glyphs he needed into his mind. The began to appear on the ground below him, forming a magic circle. He was almost ready.

Scott knew Stiles was ready without him having to say anything. He’d felt him gathering the energy and runes he needed. Scott needed to stun Peter for just a second. He punched Peter in the nose of his wolf half, knowing it would be sensitive. Peter howled and clutched his nose, looking away from Scott.

Stiles acted immediately, activating the spell. The magic circle lit up and thick, rootlike vines sprang from the ground beneath Peter. They wrapped around Peter’s entire body, gripping him tightly. Once Peter had been completely ensnared and immobilized, the vines seemed to harden and become immoveable. As Peter struggled against his bindings, Scott and Stiles approached him.

“It’s over, Peter,” said Scott.

“You can’t escape from that,” continued Stiles. “The vines will hold you until I release them.”

Peter just snarled, his eyes wide and his pupils dilated. He seemed to just be consumed by his own madness. Stiles shrugged and he and Scott returned to the others.

“You stopped Peter, but we still have to fix this timeline,” said Jayce. “It’s getting worse. If it continues, the timelines will fully collide and then it’s all over.”

“We’re definitely running out of time,” agreed Lydia. “The voices are louder than ever and I can hear the ones from our timeline, too. This is bad.”

“Alright, I’ll try to fix it,” said Stiles, suddenly sounding unsure of himself.

_Scott gave him a confused look._

_Are you okay, Stiles?_

_Yeah. I just don’t know if I can do this._

_You can. Just try._

Stiles looked around him. The entire house was bleeding over, not just the Hales. There was no way he could do this with the small simple spells he’d been using to close the tears so far. Still, he had successfully used a large spell before when he closed all those tears at the same time. Then again, he had also failed to save the timeline where his mom was alive. He just wasn’t strong enough… He…

_Stiles, don’t._

Scott’s voice resounded in his head. It was strong, but gentle. It snapped him out of that line of thought. Scott was right. He could do this.

_Thanks, Scotty._

Stiles focused himself, gathering the runes in his mind from the spell he used before. The magic circle began to form beneath him as the glyphs and runes merged together, taking their proper place in the magic circle’s grand design. Once they were all in place, Stiles gathered his energy and focused it. Then he released it, casting the spell.

A wave of blue magical energy surged through the house with Stiles at its epicenter. Everything seemed to stop and calm for a moment as the energy passed through it. As the energy from the spell dispersed, nothing changed. The Hales were still stuck in their bleed over states and the house was still burning.

Stiles felt the inevitable drain of the failed spell as he fell to his knees and the magic circle faded away. He knew it was too good to be true. He knew he wasn’t strong enough. Why had he let himself believe that he could actually do this? He couldn’t save his mom and now he couldn’t save Derek’s family. He’d failed everyone. Darkness once again clouded Stiles’ mind.

Stiles felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Scott kneeling in front of him. His concern for Stiles was apparent. Stiles looked away from him.

_Look at me, Stiles._

_Why?_

_Just do it._

Stiles sighed and looked back up at Scott, looking into his eyes. One red and one green. They were still soul linked.

_You can’t give up here, Stiles. You can do this. Dig a little deeper and find a new way. Find the solution. I know you can do this._

_Scott, I failed again. I can’t._

_You can! Use my strength. We’re in this together, man. Now, get back on your feet and figure this out._

Scott pulled Stiles back to his feet. Stiles could feel Scott’s warmth and energy flowing into him. He could feel Scott’s absolute confidence in him. Scott was right. He couldn’t give up here. He had to find a way. And he knew where to look.

Stiles closed his eyes reached out with his mind, following the connection to the world tree. He dove into the depths of the ancient knowledge that was available to him, letting it come to him. Runes and glyphs appeared in his mind. Stiles wasn’t consciously calling them, they were appearing. He knew they were what he needed.

Stiles knew when he had what he needed. He snapped his eyes open again, meeting Scott’s eyes. They were glowing brighter than ever and with a new fire. Scott smiled and nodded at Stiles, patting him on the back before taking a few steps away.

A new and complex magic circle began to form beneath Stiles. It was using ancient and powerful runes and glyphs, creating a particularly unique and ornate design. Once everything was in place, Stiles called on what bit of his own energy he had left as well as Scott’s abundant energy. He combined them and channeled them into the spell.

The magic circle began to glow and a powerful wave of deep green energy erupted in all directions from it. As the wave passed through and area, the warps and distortions disappeared, leaving only the original timeline’s version of the house. The same happened as it made contact with each of the Hales. A few minutes later, all of the Hales and the Hale house were back to normal. Stiles breathed a sigh of relief as the magic circle faded. Scott and Stiles released their soul link as the tattoos receded back into the tattoos on their arms and the glow of their eyes faded, revealing their natural colors once more.

The Hales looked around in confusion. They were disoriented after being snapped back to their proper timeline and mindset. Derek ran down the stairs to check on everyone, quickly bouncing from person to person, making sure they were okay. The rest of the pack joined him. Talia and Noah approached Scott and Stiles, looking almost hungover.

“What exactly happened?” asked Noah.

“Lydia called it a bleed over,” answered Stiles.

“She said it’s where two timelines start to collide,” explained Scott. “As they do, parts of their history start to blend into each other. Eventually, they’ll wipe each other out.”

“Such unimaginable suffering,” said Talia, almost in disbelief. “It was so real for us.”

“Yeah. That’s why I said it was so hard for Derek to say anything,” said Scott. “It took a toll on him.”

“Understandable,” nodded Talia thoughtfully. “No boy, no one, should have to endure that kind of loss. Still, he seems to have turned out fine.”

“Well, he actually--” started Stiles before a hard jab to the ribs from Scott caused him to yelp in pain.

“He was rough around the edges when we first met him, but he’d been alone a long time,” explained Scott. “He’s definitely become a great guy though.”

“I imagine that has a lot to do with you somehow,” said Talia, smiling at Scott. “Thank you for doing what I could not.”

“No, it was nothing. He really figured it out on his own and he helped me a lot,” said Scott, flustered as he blushed.

“It’s good that he helped you, too,” responded Talia. “That’s probably why he turned out well. Helping each other be the best you can be. You’ve both done well.”

“Thank you,” replied Scott bashfully, rubbing the back of his head.

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound. Scott and Stiles turned around to see that a portal had opened behind them. They were done here and it was time to move on.

“It looks like you have to go,” said Talia.

“Yeah,” agreed Scott. “We have to keep going.”

“I know you won’t need it, but I wish you good luck,” said Talia.

“Thanks,” replied Scott. “We’ll need it.”

“We’ve got this, Scotty,” interjected Stiles, smiling smugly.

“I have no doubt you will,” said Talia. “Now get going.”

Scott and Stiles nodded and stepped through the portal. The rest of the pack followed behind them. As Derek approached the portal, Talia stopped him.

“Derek, I know you’re not from this timeline, but I want you to know I’m proud of you. We’re proud of you,” said Talia, gesturing towards Noah who nodded. “You’ve become a great man. We may be gone in your timeline, but we live on in you. Scott will continue to need your help protecting Beacon Hills, so make sure to help him. It’s the duty of the Hales after all.”

“I’m not so sure he needs me anymore,” said Derek, casting his eyes at the ground. He’d never said it before out loud and the thought made him sadder than he thought it would.

“No alpha can do it alone, Derek,” said Noah.

“He has Stiles,” rebutted Derek.

“True, he does have a strong bond with a powerful druid. Anyone can see that,” agreed Talia. “However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need you. Stiles is a powerful ally and a true friend to him, but he doesn’t know what it’s like to be a werewolf. He can’t help Scott with that. Scott relies a lot on you, probably more than you think. You both help each other and that’s important. He does need you, Derek. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

“Thanks, mom,” said Derek. “You’re right.”

“Aren’t I always?” said Talia, a sly smile crossing her face.

“But you should get going,” said Noah. “They’re waiting for you.”

“Yeah, I know,” said Derek quitely.

“You’re not leaving without me getting one more hug, bro,” said Brandon, appearing out of nowhere.

“Me too,” said Laura, walking up behind Brandon.

Derek looked surprised as all his siblings assembled to bid him farewell. He hugged each of them tightly, one last time, treasuring that moment. He wanted it to be etched into his memories forever. The one last time he got to see everyone. It made him happy and sad at the same time. When he was done telling everyone goodbye, Derek turned to face the portal. He strode towards it with determination. Some of his siblings shouted more goodbyes as he did. A moment later and he entered the portal, their voices fading away as he was whisked away to the next timeline.

* * *

The shadowy figure loomed in the shadows of the trees outside of the Hale house. His face was taught with a cold fury. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. He’d had his fun with them, drawn out and savored their pain. It was time to end it. This bleed over was the strongest of his skills and they had still managed to overcome it. No! He would not stand for this. It was unacceptable. This was HIS game. They couldn’t beat him.

Fine, his usual methods weren’t enough. Well, that was fine. He’d just have to become more directly involved. After all, they were no match for him in terms of power. Yes, he was done playing around. It was time to end this. They would suffer dearly for daring to push him to such a point. It would do him some good to face them head on. It could be fun. It had been quite some time since he’d had to directly go after someone with his power. Yes, let them think they’d won. It’d make snatching their victory away from them so much sweeter.

His tight face relaxed into a malevolent grin as he stepped through a portal of blue and black energy, vanishing in an instant as he moved to the next timeline.

 


	19. Back To The Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a reference to a magazine cover. The edit of it can be found [here](http://bleep0bleep.tumblr.com/post/114646373710/a-crack-in-the-hourglass-part-two-of-the-mccall). Enjoy!

Scott opened his eyes, blinking at the brightness. He didn’t recognize his surroundings. As his vision came into focus and he acclimated to yet another timeline jump, he realized he was in an office.

A really big office actually.

Scott turned around to see where the source of all the light was. It was a wall of windows. He walked over to the windows and looked through them.

Scott was surprised by what he saw. It was Beacon Hills. It looked different and had a lot of new buildings, but it was definitely Beacon Hills.

The next thing that struck Scott was how high up they were. The building in which he was standing was the tallest building by far, giving an excellent view of the entire town. The building had to be at least fifty stories tall. Scott was astounded to say the least.

“Crazy, isn’t it?” asked a familiar voice.

Scott looked in the direction of the voice to see Stiles leaning against one of the windows while looking at him. But something was different about him. Scott could tell this was his Stiles, but he looked different. This Stiles was older, easily mid-twenties. He also wasn’t the same scrawny and lanky Stiles he’d always known. This Stiles was more filled out, more muscular. Honestly, Scott was impressed.

“You look different, too, you know,” said Stiles with a smirk, clearly knowing what Scott was thinking. “Though you really can rock that gray suit, man.”

Scott looked down at himself and realized that he was wearing a very nice and well-fitted gray suit. He had no idea how he, in any timeline, could possibly afford something like that.

“Anyway, it seems we’re set somewhat in the future this time,” continued Stiles. “But it’s still a beta timeline.”

"Sorry, I just didn’t expect us to get older in a timeline. Or for you to ever be ripped,” said Scott.

Stiles laughed and said, “I don’t think this counts as ripped by any means, but I guess I had to keep up with you. I am your emissary after all.”

“True,” agreed Scott. “So, what’s so different in this timeline? And why are we in this huge office?”

“I’m not sure yet. The memories haven’t settled. Maybe we should look around?”

“Couldn’t hurt. I’d like to know how a giant office building appeared in Beacon Hills.”

“And why we’re in the top floor office.”

“Yeah, that, too.”

Scott and Stiles looked around the office. The walls were covered with framed magazines, newspapers, and articles and pictures of Scott and Stiles or Scott and his pack. As they started to read the magazine covers and headlines, they highlighted what this timeline’s Scott and Stiles had done.

They had outed werewolves and the supernatural world. Scott and Stiles were in disbelief, but all of these articles indicated that to be the case.

There was a newspaper with a picture of a very awkward and slightly terrified Scott and Stiles addressing a large crowd. That must have been when they first announced werewolves to the world.

As they continued examining the framed news, they saw several things that caught their eye. There were articles about Scott’s efforts to unify the packs and bring order to the chaotic world of the supernatural. They even saw an article announcing a temporary armistice between the hunter families and the werewolves.

There was also an article about how Stiles had become a sort of leader in the worldwide druid community. As the world druid, they looked to him for advice and guidance just as the packs looked to Scott, the true alpha. Another article in the same frame detailed how Scott and Stiles offered advice and counselling to other alpha/emissary duos, especially to new alphas and druids. The last framed newspaper covered the finished construction of the McCall-Hale Tower, a building project spearhead by Scott, Stiles, and Derek.

“Well, I guess that explains where we are,” said Scott.

“Yeah and that makes this your office, dude!” said Stiles, flashing a huge grin at Scott.

“Yeah, I guess it is. It’s crazy.”

“We did all this,” said Stiles, slapping his best friend on the back. “We really do make a hell of a team.”

“We didn’t do it alone though,” corrected Scott. “Derek and the others helped, too.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Stiles dismissively. “Hey, what’s that?”

Stiles pointed at a magazine sitting on Scott’s desk. It looked like the latest of the magazine that was commonly framed on the walls, Werewolf Today.

Scott and Stiles looked at the issue. The cover featured Scott in the very suit he was wearing now with glowing red eyes. The cover proclaimed itself to be a special edition dedicated to the one and only true alpha, uniter of the packs, and leader of the supernatural world, Scott McCall. The headlines boasted a biography of Scott as well as a special extended interview with Scott where he would discuss, among other things, the upcoming signing of the final peace treaty with the hunter families.

Scott and Stiles stared in awe at the magazine for a while. This was real. This was actually the destiny of another timeline. It was unthinkable to them that they could have achieved this much especially in such a short time.

“Dude, you’re like the werewolf president,” said Stiles.

“No way,” said Scott, shaking his head. “I don’t want that kind of power.”

“But who else would you trust with that kind of power and responsibility?” asked Stiles, sounding serious all of a sudden, but it was gone a moment later. “Besides, you totally look like Werewolf Jesus in this picture.”

“I do not!”

“You definitely do. I mean, it looks like you’re praying or something. They even put in that golden light around you, so it kind of looks like a halo. There’s no escaping it, Scotty.”

Scott just groaned in response, eliciting a victorious grin from Stiles.

“Anyway, why not thumb through it?” suggested Stiles. “Could be interesting.”

“Yeah, why not,” shrugged Scott.

Stiles opened the magazine and flipped to the spot where Scott’s interview should be and the two of them started to skim the interview for interesting parts.

 **WWT:** _So, Scott, how does it feel to be the leader of werewolves everywhere?_

 **SM:** _I wouldn’t say I’m the leader. That kind of implies that I rule over them or something and that’s definitely not the case. Each pack still has its own alpha and he or she is the leader of that pack just like I’m the leader of mine. I’m just someone who the other packs and alphas respect and feel comfortable coming to for advice._

 **WWT:** _So modest, too! Incredible. Well, how do you feel about being sought after for advice and guidance?_

 **SM:** _Honestly, it’s humbling. It’s hard to believe that so many people look up to me like that, even older alphas. Not that long ago, I was just a scared high school kid who was thrown into this crazy world. So, yeah, it’s humbling, but it feels great to be able to help so many people._

 **WWT:** _You’ve built quite an impressive building with the McCall-Hale. Could you tell us more about it? what the building means for you, and what you hope it means for others._

 **SM:** _It was definitely an undertaking, but it was something Stiles, Derek, and myself all thought would be a worthwhile endeavor, especially considering how things are changing. It wouldn’t have even been possible without Derek’s help and financial support._

_Of course, it’s a base of operations for my pack and all my initiatives, but we employ and work with tons of other people, both supernatural and not! The other packs often send members to help out or to act as representatives. There’s always a lot going on and the tower is packed nearly every day! We’re getting a lot accomplished here and I think it’s definitely turning out better than any of us could have hoped._

**WWT:** _Does this tower mean anything to you outside of being a base of operations? Or what do you hope it means for others?_

 **SM:** _Absolutely! When we built this tower, we hoped it would be more than just our own base. We hoped it would become a beacon, the new beacon of Beacon Hills. A place where werewolves and other supernaturals can come when they’re lost or need help. I want to always be able to help those in need. I remember how it was to be scared and have no idea what was going on. I don’t want anyone else to have to go through that. So, I guess I just hope that people see it as a beacon of hope._

They skimmed a bit farther down, finding the part where they started to discuss the peace with the hunter families.

 **WWT:** _Everyone’s absolutely amazed that you’re on the cusp of achieving real and lasting peace between werewolves and the hunter families. How did that happen?_

 **SM:** _I owe so much to Allison Argent. She’s played the biggest role in all of this since she is a member of the Argent family. It’s thanks to her we got the armistice so that we could continue more lengthy peace talks. She’s continued to be a help every step of the way and now we’re ready to sign the final peace treaty with the hunter families. It’s truly amazing. Allison just knows how they works and helped me to negotiate with them. She also wasn’t afraid to get a bit rough with her words, which is apparently something the hunters respect. Or maybe they just respect her. I know I do._

 **WWT:** _She certainly sounds like an incredible person!_

 **SM:** _She definitely is. She’s really adamant about convincing the families, including the rest of her own family, to adopt the new code that she created, “We protect those who cannot protect themselves.”_

 **WWT:** _That’s a noble code._

 **SM:** _Definitely. And it’s one I try to teach to everyone in my pack, too. It’s a good code to follow. I think my pack takes well to it and other packs are starting to catch on, too._

The article continued for a while longer, but Scott and Stiles decided they’d read enough. Stile closed the magazine and slid it away a bit. When he did, he knocked another piece of paper to the ground.

Scott bent down to pick it up. He froze when he saw what it was.

“What is it?” asked Stiles, moving to get a better look at the piece of paper in Scott’s hand.

“No way,” said Stiles as he finally saw the piece of paper and a goofy smile spread across his face. “They’re actually doing it in this timeline? Derek and Braeden are getting married?”

Scott continued to stare at the wedding invitation in his hand and said, “Yeah, seems so. Tomorrow, too.”

Scott and Stiles shook their heads as a disorienting feeling rocked them for a moment. It had taken a while this time, but the memories of their other selves had combined with their own finally. They knew the details that had been missing before.

“And I’m apparently the best man,” said Scott in surprise.

“That’s okay. I’m their florist apparently,” snorted Stiles. “They just expect me to sprout bouquets of flowers with magic.”

“Well, can’t you?”

“Again, that is beside the point, Scotty!”

Scott couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m more than a magical flower dispenser,” pouted Stiles.

Scott grinned and threw his arm around his best friend’s shoulders.

“Of course you are,” said Scott. “I’m sure Derek just thought you could come up with the most bad ass flower arrangements.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Stiles. “I guess I’m not too upset.”

“You’ll come up with something cool.”

“Always do.”

“Just try not to blow things up.”

“I make no promises!”

“Alright, well, we should probably try and find everyone else. I think most of them will be in the tower somewhere.”

“Right.  Let’s go.”

* * *

Derek felt that familiar disorientation as he jumped timelines. The feeling passed faster than normal. Maybe he was finally getting used to this. He could only hope.

Derek’s vision came into focus as his head stopped spinning. He looked around the room, getting his bearings. Braeden was sitting across from him at a table with that beautiful bemused smile of hers. Derek got the feeling that she knew something he didn’t yet, but decided to shrug it off

As he took the room in better, he realized it was an office. The nameplate on the desk indicated that it was actually his office. The memories of building the tower with Scott and Stiles appeared in his mind as well as those two outing werewolves. Honestly, Derek was amazed those two had managed to do so well considering things.

Braeden was still smiling at him. Derek gave her a confused look and she just shook her head, refusing to give him any hints. No memories were coming up yet, so Derek wasn’t sure what it was. He cast his gaze down at the desk space between the two of them and realized that it was covered in papers, magazines, and pictures. Upon closer inspection, Derek realized that they were all related to weddings.

At first, Derek was confused. Then he connected the dots as the rest of his other self’s memories filled his head. Derek looked up at Braeden in surprise. Braeden started laughing.

“We’re getting married?!” said Derek.

“So it seems,” said Braeden. “Dissapointed?”

“No, just surprised,” answered Derek.

Upon seeing Braeden’s questioning eyebrows, Derek quickly continued, “Not like that! It’s just surprising that we were thrown into a timeline where our wedding is the next day.”

“Hmm. Fair enough,” said Braeden, smiling slyly at him. “Think you can do it?”

“Of course!” said Derek sounding slightly flustered.

Braeden laughed and said, “It’s alright, Derek, I’m just messing with you. It’s okay if it feels a bit awkward. We’ll just have to get through it like we do everything else.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Besides, Scott’s your best man. Do you really want to deny him that honor?”

“No. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have be my best man.”

“Well, he’s like a brother to you and he’s your alpha. But more importantly, he’s Scott. You definitely couldn’t find anyone better.”

Derek just smiled. Braeden was right and it made him happy that she could acknowledge that in just the short time that she’d known Scott and the others. Yeah, they could do this. It’d be great. And some day they’d do it all again in their own timeline.

“I do question our other selves’ decision to trust Stiles to be our florist though,” continued Braeden.

“Well, he is a world druid,” said Derek. “He could probably conjure up some amazing bouquets.”

“I guess we’ll see what he has in store.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. He’s matured since he became a world druid.”

“True. Anyway, it looks like it’s getting late. We should try to find Scott and the others.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I think our other selves already have things ready for tomorrow and everyone else should be somewhere in this tower.”

Derek and Braeden quickly packed up the mess of papers on Derek’s desk and left his office in search of the others.


	20. The Wedding Of Derek Hale

It was late afternoon, but there were still countless people milling about. Scott and Stiles had seen many people walking the halls of the tower as they made their way from Scott’s office. There were people of all nationalities in the tower and the two of them heard no less than six different languages being spoken. Scott and Stiles were honestly impressed. The news articles hadn’t done the place justice.

“I can’t believe we accomplished something like this,” said Scott in awe.

“Hey, you and me can do anything, Scotty,” said Stiles. “Besides, it’s not like we were alone.”

“Yeah that’s true.”

“Still, it takes a special kind of person to pull this off. Had to be you. Someone else might’ve gotten it wrong.”

“Thanks, Stiles,” replied Scott, one of his small, but bright smiles crossing his face. “It’s good to know there’s a timeline like this. I wonder if we-”

“No, Scott,” interrupted Stiles gently. “We can’t know that just because events worked out a certain way in one timeline means they’ll happen the same way in another. It’s a beta timeline for a reason.”

Scott’s face fell a little bit at Stiles words and Stiles felt a twinge of guilt for having to tell Scott that. But he had to. He had to know and it was his job as Scott’s emissary. That didn’t make seeing that crestfallen look on Scott’s any easier though.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” said Scott.

“Hey, you’re doing just fine in our timeline,” comforted Stiles. “Better than fine. You’re doing a damn good job. Don’t worry about how this timeline turned out compared to ours. That’s not important, okay? Just like with the beta timelines, we’re the alpha timeline for a reason.”

Scott’s face brightened once again at Stiles’ words. Stiles felt relieved to see Scott’s spirits lifted. As far as Stiles was concerned, Scott should never look like that.

“Yeah, you’re right. Still, it would be cool if we could make this happen in our timeline,” said Scott.

“Yeah, and you’d be an even more badass leader than this timeline’s Scott,” said Stiles.

Scott laughed and replied, “Maybe.”

The two continued to talk as they made their way through the tower. It didn’t take long for Scott and Stiles to find the others. They all met in the central lobby area. After all, it was a central location. It was only logical for everyone to head there first.

The pack caught up quickly. The memories of this timeline came easily to them and they were all close together, so it made things easier. They were all supposed to attend the wedding tomorrow which would apparently be held at the recently rebuilt Hale House. Since it seemed like tomorrow would be a long day with the wedding, everyone agreed to go home and rest for the night. They promised to keep an eye out for their enemy, just in case. With everything settled, they parted ways.

* * *

Scott and Stiles both arrived to the Hale House early, already dressed in their black tuxedos. After all, they were both groomsmen and Stiles still had to make the floral decorations.

Chairs and tables were set up outside the front of the house. Stiles looked around, getting an idea of the layout and how to make the best decorations possible.

“Just make it good, dude,” said Scott.

“Oh ye of little faith, Scotty!” scoffed Stiles indignantly. “I got this.”

Stiles took a step forward, now standing in front of Scott. He removed a small pouch of powder from his jacket pocket, emptying the contents into both of his hands. A smug smirk crossed his face as the runes and glyphs filled his head and his eyes began to glow their deep forest green.

Stiles reached his hands outward in front of him with his palms up and fists closed, holding the powder. Then he opened his hands with a flick of his fingers and cast the spell.

The powder flew from his hands, sparkling with magical energy as it spread throughout the area. Moving runes and glyphs appeared along the chairs, tables, walls, and ground. The doors to the Hale House flew open as the spell made its way into the house, the runes and glyphs winding their way up the central staircase.

As the spell moved through the area, taking the runes and glyphs with it, beautiful and intricate floral decorations and arrangements took form. A chain of gorgeous flowers wrapped itself around the banister of the staircase and the frame of the front door. Scott watched in amazement as the tables become populated with various different bouquets. Even the individual chairs had floral decorations attached to them.

As the spell came to a conclusion, a small glyph appeared on Scott and Stiles’ chests. With one last flourish of light, a boutonniere formed where the glyphs had once been. Stiles turned to face Scott again.

“So, think that’s good enough?” asked Stiles, a smug smile on his face.

“Dude, that was amazing!” replied Scott. “Derek and Braeden are going to love it!”

“I told you he’d do a good job,” came a familiar voice from behind them.

Scott and Stiles turned around to see Derek and Braeden walking down the staircase towards them.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Braeden dismissively. “You did. He did a great job.”

Derek and Braeden stopped in front of them.

“Really, you did great, Stiles,” said Braeden. “Thanks.”

“No problem!” said Stiles. “I mean, nature’s kind of my thing. World druid and all.”

“Still, it’s damn impressive,” said Braeden. “I don’t think any florist could’ve come close.”

“Probably not,” agreed Stiles.

“We should go get ready though,” interrupted Derek. “The other groomsmen and the bridesmaids will be here soon. The guests, too.”

“Yeah, I probably shouldn’t keep Lydia waiting,” said Braeden. “Since she’s the one who arranged for all the dresses, makeup, and hair styling.”

“Sounds like Lydia,” laughed Stiles.

“Much like you, she was best for the job,” said Braeden.

“Absolutely,” agreed Scott. “You’re going to look amazing, Braeden.”

As if on cue, Lydia pulled up along with Allison, Kira, and Malia. Braeden’s sister, the maid of honor, had arrived in another car next to them. A fleet of cars pulled in behind Lydia and a multitude of hairdressers and makeup artists began to climb out of the cars.

“Wow, she really did go all out,” said Scott in shock.

“That’s our Lydia,” said Stiles.

Braeden left them to meet up with Lydia and the other girls. Scott and Stiles went with Derek to where the groomsmen would be waiting until the wedding started.

A few hours later, it was showtime. Isaac and Jayce had also shown up to be groomsmen for Derek. Stiles created boutonnieres for the rest and sent out the flowers for bridesmaids and the bride. Everything was ready and it was time to begin. The five of them made their way to the front of the house where the wedding would be held.

Derek took his place at the top of the porch with Scott standing to his left. Stiles stood on the step below them followed by Isaac, then Jayce, and Chris Argent at the end.

Braeden’s sister stood at the top of the porch as the maid of honor. Allison was directly below her followed by Lydia, then Kira, and finally Malia. They were all clad in matching burgundy dresses that reached the floor, skirting their ankles. Scott and Stiles were stunned by their beauty. They’d always known they were beautiful, but this took it to another level. Lydia had done a truly amazing job with everyone’s hair and makeup.

Scott noticed that Derek looked particularly nervous. Not that he needed any visual cues. Scott could hear Derek’s heart pounding and smell the nervousness exuding from him. A quick glance at Malia told Scott that she could smell it, too.

“Hey, you alright, Derek?” asked Scott quietly.

“Just a little nervous,” whispered Derek quickly.

“You don’t need to be.”

“This is big, Scott. I don’t want to mess this up. And it’s a huge change in my life. I mean…”

Scott placed his hand on Derek’s shoulder. Derek visibly relaxed.

“You’ve got this, bro,” whispered Scott, a brilliant and comforting smile on his face.

Derek returned the smile, nodded at Scott, and said, “Yeah. Thanks, Scott.”

Just before Scott could answer, everyone turned to look at the top of the stairs. Scott and Derek turned to follow everyone’s gaze.

Braeden turned the corner at the top of the stairs and began to descend them gracefully. Her ivory dress flowed around her waist and legs as she walked. A single strap of white flowers ran across Braeden’s right shoulder. As she reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to take her place across from Derek, the design on the back of her dress was revealed. The fabric of the back of the dress had been shaped and woven into flowers, their silken petals cascading down her back all the way to the floor.

Derek watched in absolute awe as she descended the stairs. He’d never seen her look more beautiful. Of course, he thought Braeden was always beautiful whether she was wearing combat boots while wielding a shotgun or the most incredible wedding dress he’d ever seen. Braeden smiled lovingly at him as she took her place next to her younger sister and across from Derek.

Deaton smiled and opened his book, an ancient looking tome bound in worn brown leather.

“We are gathered here today to join Derek and Braeden in matrimony,” began Deaton. “It is my great pleasure and honor to serve as their justice of the peace today. In years past, I have wedded many werewolves and their partners; however, this will be my first time doing so publicly now that the world knows about the supernatural. And I never thought I’d see not one, but two hunters participating in the wedding. The world is definitely changing and for the better.”

“Well, without further ado, let’s begin,” continued Deaton who proceeded to recite a passage from the tome in hands.

Runes and glyphs written in the tome lit up, casting a multicolored light on Deaton’s face. Magical energy crackled through the air around Derek and Braeden as two glyphs appeared beneath them.

“These glyphs are special,” explained Deaton. “Alone, they represent individual strength and fortitude, the strength of an individual to face the world alone if you will. But when they are combined with each other, the new glyph means something different. The meaning become unity, the strength of two individuals working together. It is an ancient and powerful glyph. At the end of the ceremony, your two glyphs will unite and become one just as the two of you will become one.”

“Now, I believe the two of you have written your own vows,” prompted Deaton. “Go ahead.”

Derek’s heart pounded in his chest. He was still nervous in spite of everything. This was a huge moment.

Something bumped his hand. It was Scott. He was trying to hand Derek the ring box. Derek took it and saw Scott smiling at him as he turned to face Braeden and hand her the ring to put on his finger. That’s right. Scott believed in him. His alpha believed in him and he’d agreed to be his best man. What more could he ask for? Yeah, he could do this.

“Braeden, you came into my life in the most unexpected way,” started Derek. “You saved me, my pack, my friends, and even my family countless times. We started as just business partners, working together out of a shared interest, but we became something more than that. When I lost my powers and thought I was weak, you showed me I was still strong. You reminded me that I could still fight and you showed me how. You’ve stayed by my side through everything. You’ve shown me something I thought I could never have, something I thought would always be out of my reach no matter how hard I tried. Love. I found that with you and now we’re here, about to make our vows. I couldn’t ask for a better partner to walk through life with. So, let’s go. Together.”

The crowd aww’d as Derek finished his vow. Derek could see Scott and Stiles beaming at him from the corner of his eye. Braeden blinked back a few happy tears. She had the biggest smile on her face that Derek had ever seen.

“I’ve never met anyone like you, Derek,” began Braeden. “I didn’t realize that when I first met you because at first glance you seemed like one of a thousand other guys I’ve met before. But then I got to know you and I realized you were different. I saw you at your weakest and your most vulnerable and even though you tried to hide it, to be strong like you thought you needed to be for me, you never pushed me away. You let me teach you and show you how to use a gun, something you’d come to fear. We brought out the best in each other and we still do. In my line of work, you don’t form attachments. You finish the job and move on to the next, wherever that may be. I’d never found anyone worth sticking around for. Not until I met you. It’s a tough life out there alone. I wouldn’t mind the company and I’m pretty sure I couldn’t find a better partner to have at my side. So, let’s take this next step in our journey together. I can’t wait.”

The crowd aww’d again when Braeden finished delivering her vows. Derek smiled. He couldn’t be happier than he was right now.

Deaton recited another brief passage from his book and the glyphs became encircled by a set of runes, forming two small magic circles, one beneath each of them.

“Now for the formal vows,” said Deaton, turning a page. “Do you, Derek, take Braeden to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?”

“I do,” affirmed Derek.

“Do you, Braeden, take Derek to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?” asked Deaton.

“I do,” concurred Braeden.

Deaton gestured for them to exchange their rings. As they did this, Deaton continued to read from the book in his hand. Derek took the golden band with runes etched into it and slid it onto Braeden’s finger. Braeden took an identical band that Derek had given her and slide it onto his finger. Deaton stopped reading at the same moment that Braeden finished placing the ring on Derek’s finger.

The runes on their rings began to glow and move around the surface of the rings. Beneath Derek and Braeden, the two magic circles began to spin and move as well. In moments, the two circles joined and, with a flash of light, they became a one grand glyph. The glyph of unity that Deaton had mentioned before. The glyphs on their rings stilled themselves as their light faded.

“I know pronounce you Mister and Misses Derek Hale,” proclaimed Deaton, closing the tome with one hand. “You may now kiss the-”

Braeden made the first move before Deaton could even finish. She leaned forward and kissed Derek on the lips. Derek was surprised at first, but only for a moment. He pulled her in close.

As their lips met, hidden magic circles lit up around the entire area. A moment later, magical fireworks erupted from them creating one of the most spectacular fireworks displays that anyone had ever seen.

Stiles grinned, proud of his handiwork. Scott elbowed him, but was smiling. They both knew it was a nice touch.

With the ceremony over, everyone processed out of the area in front of the porch and made their way to the reception area. The reception was amazing and featured quite an array of foods, wines, liquors, and beers. The pack had a great time eating, drinking, dancing, and just having fun celebrating. They knew this wasn’t their timeline, but they could still enjoy a moment’s reprieve from the daunting task that still awaited them. Besides, they had to keep up appearances in this timeline and keep things going like they were supposed to. Unfortunately, that meant business would come shortly.

Chris walked up to the pack who had managed to sneak away from the majority of the guests for the moment.

“Derek, I know this is a special night for you and Braeden and you deserve to celebrate, but remember that the signing of the treaty with the hunter families is tomorrow,” said Chris.

“I know,” replied Derek.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Argent,” said Scott. “We’ll be ready.”

“I hope so. You and everyone else have been working towards this for a while now. I never thought it would happen, but you’ve somehow managed it. I don’t want anything to go wrong,” said Chris soberly.

“We appreciate your concern, but I’m sure things will be just fine,” assured Stiles. “We’ve got this.”

“They’re right, dad,” said Allison. “We know what we’re doing. We’ve come this far. We’re not going to mess it up now. Believe in us.”

Chris smiled at Allison and said, “I do. I’m proud of you. Of all of you. You’ve done amazing work. Tomorrow, you make history again.”

“We’ll be ready,” said Scott confidently.

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Congratulations again, Derek and Braeden,” said Chris before walking off.

The pack enjoyed the night for a few more hours before finally parting ways for the night and heading home. They knew they had a very important and long day ahead of them tomorrow.

 


	21. Darkness Revealed

Everyone got to the tower early. The treaty signing wasn’t until the later afternoon, but they wanted to make sure they were ready and to avoid the media circus for as long as possible. Scott assembled them in the pack’s private meeting room. It was a room set off and hidden away from the rest of the tower, but was easily accessible from multiple points in the building with proper authorization and knowledge of where the access points were.

Allison reviewed the finer points of the treaty with Scott and Stiles. The three of them, specifically Scott, would be handling the bulk of the talking and the official signing, so they had to know it in and out. Allison also briefed everyone on the current state of the hunter families and what to do so as not to cause any problems. For the most part, they all seemed ready and willing to sign the treaty.

The treaty established a lasting peace between the hunters and the supernaturals as a whole. The first provision, as Allison demanded, was a universal change to their code. They would adopt her code, “We protect those who cannot protect themselves”.

Secondly, it established a new role for the hunter families. Scott and his pack were not so naive as to think that all supernatural beings were good or would follow the rules. Scott couldn’t be everywhere at the same time and neither could the other alphas who helped guard different areas around the globe, so someone else would have to step up. The treaty would make the hunter families into a police force for the supernatural. Both sides had agreed that this was a far better alternative to disarmament and was a better use of the skills that the families had developed over the years.

Scott took a deep breath. He had no idea how this version of himself had managed to pull off such an arrangement, especially with the Calaveras who had always been so staunchly against the supernaturals. Still, for the sake of this timeline, he’d have to push through even if he didn’t understand it. This was still a version of him, so he could do this. He had his pack at his side and all the memories and knowledge of this version of him. He could do this. He just hoped nothing happened. There had been no sign of their enemy yet or any sign of the tears and that worried him.

Everyone decided to take a break and relax for a bit. They’d been at it for hours and they needed time to just let the information settle and digest. Lydia looked uneasy as she approached Scott. That was unusual and it worried Scott.

“What’s wrong, Lydia?” asked Scott.

“Can I talk to you in private for a minute?” asked Lydia.

“Yeah, sure.”

Scott and Lydia took a short walk from the meeting room back to Scott’s office. Scott closed the door behind them.

“What’s up?” asked Scott, giving Lydia his full attention.

“I’ve been hearing something,” said Lydia. “It’s been the same thing since we went to the first timeline. It was really faint and inaudible at first, but it kept getting clearer and clearer with each new timeline. Now I can hear it clearly, like they’re talking right next to me.”

“What do you hear?”

“A name.”

“Whose?”

“Stiles.”

Cold dread filled Scott. He knew what that meant if Lydia could hear a name.

“Lydia, are you sure?” asked Scott.

“Scott, I can hear it clear as day,” answered Lydia. “It’s his name. I’m sure.”

Scott’s heart raced. He couldn’t lose Stiles.

“Maybe they’re wrong. Maybe nothing will happen,” said Scott quickly, trying to rationalize things.

“Scott,” said Lydia sadly. “We both know that’s not true. Especially not with it being this clear. It sucks, but we know what I foretell.”

“But if we know about it, maybe we can stop it. We did it before.”

“That’s true. Since we know he’ll be put in danger, and soon, we might be able to prevent it.”

“I have to try.”

“If anyone can do it, it’s you, Scott. I believe in you and so does everyone else.”

“Thanks, Lydia.”

“We should get back.”

Scott nodded and the two of them took the door back to the pack’s meeting room.

Scott was still on edge from what Lydia had told him and Stiles kept giving him questioning looks. They were connected after all. Of course he could tell something was wrong.

_Dude, what’s wrong?_

_I’m just nervous about this whole treaty thing. I don’t want to mess up this timeline._

_Scott, you’ll be fine. Don’t worry so much. From the sound of it, this is basically just a formality._

_Yeah, you’re probably right._

_Um, I’m always right, Scott._

_That’s debatable._

Scott could feel the indignation from Stiles and couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. For now, it seemed to have deflected Stiles’ curiosity and concern. Scott cleared his mind. It wouldn’t help him to dwell on what Lydia had told him. He would be aware and he would protect Stiles. What he needed to focus on was this treaty signing. Scott took another moment to gather his thoughts before getting back to work.

A few hours later, it was finally time for the final meeting to begin. Scott and the rest of the pack headed for the grand meeting room at the top of the tower. They arrived early to be sure they got there first. They didn’t want to be rude and leave the hunter families waiting.

Deaton was waiting for them in the room. He smiled when they entered. Scott remembered that he had been serving as the mediator. Since he wasn’t an emissary to any pack and was one who was concerned with maintaining the balance, he was a sensible choice. Even the hunter families had agreed that he was well suited to the task.

“You’ve done amazing work, Scott,” said Deaton proudly. “No one ever would have thought such a peace would be possible or that the world would react so well to supernaturals. Although I think that’s largely due to you.”

“I can’t believe it either,” said Scott. “I never thought this would be possible back when I was first bitten. It’s been a crazy ride.”

“Indeed. But I always had faith.”

As soon as Deaton finished his sentence, the hunter families and their entourages began to file into the meeting room. The leaders of the families were all there including Chris and Araya. There were hunter families from across the world here. The treaty would be between all hunters, even those in other countries.

Everyone took their seats around the table. Scott sat at the center of the table with Stiles to his right and Derek to his left. The rest of the pack filled in on either side of them including Braeden.

Araya and Chris shared the center of the table on the hunters’ side. They were unquestionably the most respected of the hunters. After all, their families were the ones who started it all and were the most renown in history for their actions. The other heads of the hunter families took their seats next to them on either side while their entourages lined the walls. Each leader had only brought two members each besides themselves.

“I believe everyone is here,” said Deaton, placing a hefty stack of bound papers on the table. “Shall we begin?”

“Yes, we’re ready,” said Araya.

“As are we,” concurred Scott.

“Very good,” said Deaton. “Everyone should have had ample time to review the treaty. Is everyone clear on what it requires of both parties? Are there any last minute objections?”

“None,” said Scott.

“I believe things are in order,” agreed Araya.

“Then all that’s left is for the head of each family and Scott to sign the treaty,” said Deaton. “The signature lines are on the-”

Deaton suddenly stopped talking and stared straight ahead as if in shock. Scott felt the hair on the back of his neck bristle. Stiles felt that same familiarity that he’d been feeling, but this time it was stronger than ever. Kira’s eyes flashed orange for a moment and she recognized that feeling from the first time it happened.

“Now, why would anyone want peace?” said a raspy voice.

Everyone turned their heads to look at the source of the voice.

Emerging from a swirling black and blue portal was the figure that the pack had seen many times before. The figure was still cloaked in his black robes, concealing his face. The shadows seeped out from beneath the folds of his robes like black smoke.

Everyone was on their feet in an instant. The hunters, Allison, and Braeden had all drawn their weapons, ready to fight. Scott and the others wolfed out in preparation for the fight. Stiles began to call offensive runes into his mind. They wouldn’t let him escape this time.

“Ah, that’s much more like it. Strife, anger, chaos. They’re so much better than-- peace,” continued the figure. “It was fun playing with you for a while, watching you struggle and suffer. Ah, how I enjoyed it. But now you’ve become a thorn in my side. I can’t let you keep interfering. So I’m afraid I’ll have to end it here.”

The figure flicked his hand toward the group and a blast of shadow energy erupted from his palm. It collided with the table, sending it flying through the window. Deaton barely managed to avoid being taken out with the table, dodging to the side.

“We’ll stop you here,” declared Scott.

“We have you cornered,” said Stiles.

“Oh? Do you now?” laughed the figure. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

The figure began to hover in mid air. He began to launch orbs of black and blue energy at everyone in the room. Most everyone was able to dodge, but a couple of the blasts hit members of the hunter families’ entourages. They let out anguished cries of pain as magical energy arced across their bodies, singeing their skin and clothes.

Araya and Chris seemed completely unphased by this, both steadying their guns and taking aim. Scott had expected nothing less from them. With their help, they just might be able to take down this enemy.

“We have to do this together or he’ll escape,” said Scott.

“So you’ve dealt with him before?” asked Araya.

“He’s never been this direct, but he’s strong,” replied Scott. “If we work together we can stop him.”

“Very well,” said Araya, motioning to her team. “We’ll work with you, Scott McCall. Even if the treaty hasn’t been signed yet.”

“Thank you, Araya,” said Scott.

Scott reached out to Stiles, activating their soul link. They were going to need as much power as they could muster for this fight.

Allison launched several arrows in succession as Araya and the other hunters took shots with their own weapons. None of them connected as the figure dissolved into the shadows only to reappear elsewhere in the room.

Jayce pulled all of the water from his water backpack to use against the enemy. He worked with Liam, Isaac, and Malia to try and limit his movements while Derek and Scott tried to pin him down. Jayce hoped to catch the figure with some of his water so that he could freeze him. At the very least, it would keep him still long enough for the others to take him down.

Even though their speed and strength was already enhanced by the soul link, Stiles used a few runes to improve Scott’s speed even further. He did the same for Derek, Liam, and the others. Even with all this, they still couldn’t catch the figure and he was taking out more and more of the hunters as he continued to nimbly dodge their every attack. Though he had said he was being serious, it still felt like he was toying with them.

Stiles ran over to Allison. He had an idea.

“Allison, let me see your bow,” said Stiles. “I’m going to give you the trueshot barrage again.”

Allison nodded and held her bow out to Stiles. Stiles took a handful of powder and placed his hand on the bow. The runes took form and made their way across the bow. It was ready. Stiles noded and stepped back.

Allison loaded up the three arrows that she needed and took aim. The familiar honing of her senses from the runes came back to her. She knew she would make her mark. She fired.

The three arrows flew through the air, a trail of magical energy dancing behind them. The figure saw them coming and tried to dissolve into the shadows again. The three arrows collided with the wall, but they weren’t alone. The figure’s robes were pinned to the wall by the three arrows.

Everyone realized what that meant at the same time and whirled around to try and find their enemy. He was on the other side of the room, still hovering in mid air. The entire pack stared in disbelief at what they saw before them.

It was Stiles. No, that wasn’t quite right and they knew it. This Stiles was sickly pale with sunken eyes. His eyes were glowing a deep orange color and he had an aura of pure evil. With the robes gone, the shadows that had been billowing under their hem took the form of nine black tails. There was no mistaking it. This was the nogitsune.

“No way,” said Stiles in shock.

“How?” asked Scott. “We stopped you.”

“Really? Me being here confuses you that much?” laughed the nogitsune, a smug look on his face. “I thought you were smarter than that, especially after all this time travel business.”

“What do you mean?” asked Derek.

“He’s a beta version of the nogitsune,” said Lydia, her voice shaking slightly. “An alternate timeline where he won.”

“That’s right,” smirked the nogitsune. “I beat all of you and plunged Beacon Hills into chaos. But why stop there? One world wasn’t enough. I want them all to fall.”

“Now I know why it felt so familiar,” said Stiles. “It was you. I should have known.”

“Yes, you should have,” agreed the nogitsune in a mocking tone. “But it doesn’t matter now. You can’t stop me. Everything is already in motion. All that’s left is to get rid of you.”

“You may have beaten us in another timeline, but you won’t stop us here,” said Scott with bravado.

“I’m much more powerful than the me you faced in your timeline. You don’t stand a chance,” replied the nogitsune. “Still, you’re welcome to try. I can enjoy your last bits of struggle before I finally snuff you out.”

Scott roared and charged the nogitsune. Derek, Liam, Isaac, and Malia followed him. The remaining hunters provided covering fire for Scott and the others. With his tails no longer restricted by the robes, the nogitsune used them as weapons, lashing out and whipping Scott and the others, repelling their attacks. He successfully took out a few more hunters with his orbs of shadow energy.

One of the orbs hit Chris square in the chest. Pain flooded his body and his vision began to white out. He collapsed to his knees and struggled to remain conscious. Chris took aim with his gun while the nogitsune had his back to him and pulled the trigger.

The nogitsune whirled around, sensing the oncoming attack. He deflected it with one of his tails. It was heading directly for Stiles now.

The world seemed to slow down for Scott. He saw the bullet flying towards his best friend’s chest. This was it. This was the moment Lydia had foresaw. The reason the voices were so clear here was because this is where it was going to happen. He had to act now to save Stiles.

Scott willed a glyph to appear beneath his foot. It was the same one they had used when they had fought against Rhys. It would launch him forward at incredible speed.

The glyph activated immediately and Scott flew forward directly into Stiles, knocking him over. Scott felt the slipstream from the bullet as they fell to the ground. They’d just barely dodged it, but he’d done it. He’d saved Stiles and stopped Lydia’s prediction from coming true.

“Thanks, Scott,” said Stiles, his eyes wide from shock. “That was close.”

“Don’t mention it,” said Scott.

“Well that wasn’t what I intended, but it’s just as good,” said the nogitsune.

Scott turned around to see what the nogitsune was talking about. He turned just in time to see Allison collapse to her knees. Blood was spreading outward from a hole in her chest. She had been standing right behind Stiles, so when Scott knocked Stiles out of the way, Allison took the bullet instead. All Scott had done was pass death of to someone else he loved.

Chris, realizing what had just happened, dropped his gun and slumped to the ground. He’d just shot and mortally wounded his own daughter, the only family he had left.

“Allison!” shouted Scott, scrambling to her side.

The nogitsune laughed and said, “I was going to just finish you off here, but this is much better. I’ll be going now. If you still think you can fight, come to me at the end of time. But hurry. You don’t have much time. For her or to stop me. Better decide quickly.”

Araya fired another shot at the nogitsune, but it was too late. He had already disappeared into a portal of black and blue energy. He was gone. In spite of all their advantages, he had still managed to escape them.

“Jayce!” Scott called out. “Can you heal her?”

“I can try,” said Jayce, hurrying to her side.

Jayce pulled all of his water, bending it around Allison’s wound. Blood continued to flow freely from it. It must has severed a major artery. The water began to glow as Jayce tried to heal her. He put all of his focus and effort into it, but he knew there was nothing he could do. She was losing too much blood too fast and the wound was too big.

“Scott… I can’t heal her fast enough,” said Jayce sadly.

“What about the cocoon of life you used to save her before?” asked Scott, sounding panicked.

“I had to have an entire lake to do that. I requires an immense amount of water,” replied Jayce. “I’m sorry, Scott.”

“What about bloodbending?” proposed Stiles.

Jayce’s face become cold and Scott shot a look at Stiles.

“What? I know you were thinking it, Scott,” said Stiles. “It could save her.”

“You know what happened last time I bloodbent,” said Jayce. “I lost control. There is a reason it’s a forbidden form of bending.”

“Please, Jayce,” pleaded Scott, tears in his eyes. “Just try. Please save her.”

Jayce looked into Scott’s eyes. He couldn’t stand to see his friend suffer like that. Even if it meant putting himself at risk, losing himself, he had to try. He’d do it for Scott.

“Alright,” said Jayce. “I’ll try.”

Jayce bent the water back into his backpack and then began to focus. He felt the water in Allison’s blood. His pulse quickened as the power that bloodbending brought with it flooded him. He began to bend her blood.

Jayce stopped the outpouring of blood from the wound, forcing it to continue flowing through her veins. He could feel her waning life force though. He tried to make the blood freeze to seal the wound, but it wouldn’t seal for some reason.

Jayce felt the primal urges rising up again, just like that night when he’d first used bloodbending. He felt his control slipping. Jayce shook his head, dispelling the thoughts. He had to maintain control.

“Scott, I’ve stopped the flow of blood, but once I let go, that’s it. The wound will open again,” said Jayce. “I’m sorry, but it’s just not enough.”

“No…” said Scott in disbelief.

“Scott,” said Allison weakly. “It’s okay. This isn’t your fault.”

“But it is, Allison, if I hadn’t-”

“If you hadn’t knocked Stiles out of the way then it would be him dying instead of me. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Allison…”

“Scott, if she dies outside of our timeline, she’ll be wiped from ever existing,” said Stiles soberly.

Scott’s face dropped as Stiles reminded him of that, but Allison grabbed his hand.

“Scott, there’s another option,” said Allison. “I can use the necklace to bail out. It’ll drop me back in our timeline.”

“But you’ll still die,” said Scott.

“I might not. And even if I do, when you stop that nogitsune, the timeline will snap back to normal and I’ll be alive.”

“I’ll go with her,” said Isaac. “I’ll keep her alive for as long as possible. If your mom can help me, too, she might not die at all.”

“But-” started Scott.

“Shh,” said Allison. “We’ll be okay. You have to keep going, Scott. You have to stop him.”

Scott nodded and said, “Okay.”

Scott hugged Allison one more time and Jayce released his bloodbending. Allison began to bleed out again. Allison and Isaac nodded at each other and yanked their necklaces, breaking the string that bound them. There was a flash of light and a loud cracking sound and then they were gone.

“They’ll be alright, Scott,” said Stiles.

“We have to keep going,” said Jayce.

“You’re right,” agreed Scott. “We have to go after him.”

“Would someone mind explaining what’s going on?” asked Araya, looking confused and pissed off. Not a good combination for her.

“I’m sorry, Araya, I don’t have time to explain. We have to go stop him,” replied Scott.

“You’re going after him with just your pack when he took out this many hunters and one of your own?”

“Yes. We’ve backed him into a corner. We can stop him.”

“Let them go, Araya,” said Chris. “They clearly know more about this than we do, so let them go.”

“Fine, but I expect an explanation later,” said Araya unhappily.

“Thanks, Araya,” said Scott.

“He mentioned the end of time,” said Liam. “Any idea where that is?”

“Not a clue, but I have a feeling if I try to open a portal, it’ll take us there,” answered Stiles.

“Then let’s do it,” said Malia.

Stiles nodded and focused, trying to open a portal. Without much effort, one appeared. The swirling black and blue vortex awaited them. Without any further hesitation, the pack charged through the portal and towards the end of time.

 


	22. The Parting Of The Ways

The pack stepped through into a bizarre looking area. There was no ground or walls or sky. Everything was the swirling blue of the time portals that they had been using throughout their journey. Scenes from history drifted throughout the area, fading away only to be replaced by a different moment in history. The pack also noticed that there was no feeling of disorientation of merging of memories. They were here as themselves from their own timeline.

At the far end of the area they saw the nogitsune standing in front of a swirling vortex. There were tears around it and shadowy energy from the nogitsune was flowing into the vortex.

“So you’ve come,” said the nogitsune without turning around the face them. “I guess you’re more resilient than I gave you credit for.”

“What’re you doing?” asked Scott.

“Isn’t it obvious?” replied the nogitsune. “I’m destroying time itself. Like I said, this is the end of time. This vortex is the time vortex. It is both the beginning and the end of all of time. All that ever has been, all that will be, and all the possibilities in between.”

“We won’t let you destroy everything.”

“Well, I won’t stop you from trying. But if you plan to stop me and save everything, you better hurry. Clock’s ticking and there’s only a few minutes left. So, what’ll it be?”

“It’s like Scott said,” said Stiles, readying his bat. “We’re going to stop you.”

“So be it,” smirked the nogitsune. “Come then. I can play with you while I watch time burn.”

The nogitsune held out his hand and a black katana formed in his hand from a swirl of shadowy energy. He quickly settled into a fighting stance as he leered at the remaining members of the pack. His nine tails of shadows whipped about behind him chaotically and a stream of black energy continued to flow from them and into the time vortex.

“Alright, guys, we have to stop him here,” said Scott.

“It’s do or die,” said Stiles. “We can do this.”

“We just have to work together,” finished Scott.

“We’re with you til the end,” said Derek.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Kira drew her sword and Lydia readied the handgun that she had learned how to use. Jayce adopted a fighting stance, bending a large portion of his water supply around him for easy use in the fight. Derek, Liam, and Malia wolfed out. Scott and Stiles activated their soul link once more, the familiar tattoos tracing themselves over their skin. With everyone ready, Scott let out a roar that resounded throughout the area and everyone charge the nogitsune.

The nogitsune rolled his eyes, thoroughly unimpressed by Scott’s roar. He ran forward to meet the pack. Jayce made the first move, sending a surge of water at the nogitsune. The nogitsune nimbly bounced out of the way. There were no shadows here for him to move through; however, even though his mobility was reduced, he was still incredibly agile.

Lydia fired off several shots to provide covering fire for Derek and Liam who were charging the nogitsune. The nogitsune dodged the bullets and Liam’s seemingly clumsy attack with relative ease, but that was the point. Lydia smiled as the nogitsune realized his mistake a moment too late. Derek was on top of him, slamming a fist into his abdomen. The nogitsune was sent flying backwards, skidding to a halt on the ground.

The nogitsune’s eye twitched as he leapt to his feet once more. He did not look happy. Before Derek could react, the nogitsune was right in front of him. With a mischievous smirk, he slammed his fist into Derek’s face, stunning him. At a breakneck speed, he ran around Derek, whipping him with his tails and punching him. Derek did his best to block, but even doing that still hurt immensely. Finally, the nogitsune stopped behind Derek, his sword at the ready, and he slashed Derek’s back with a look of malevolent glee on his face. Derek cried out in pain as the blade ripped through his flesh like a hot knife through butter.

“Derek!” shouted Braeden, cocking her shotgun.

Braeden started to unload round after round from her shotgun. The nogitsune quickly ran to get out of the way of her bullets. Kira quickly intercepted him, clashing blades with him and halting his progress.

Scott ran over to Derek to check on him. A quick look at Derek’s wounds told him that they weren’t healing. It was just like when the oni had attacked them. The wounds wouldn’t heal as quickly as they normally would for werewolves.

Scott saw Jayce moving to help Kira, but Scott called out to him.

“Jayce!” said Scott. “Come over here! Hurry!”

Without a second thought, Jayce pulled back his water and ran to where Scott and Derek were.

“Can you heal him?” asked Scott.

“His wounds are bad, Scott,” said Jayce, looking Derek over. “I’m not sure I can.”

“Just try,” insisted Scott. “I think if you help him heal, his natural healing response will kick in. You can do this, Jayce.”

Jayce nodded and said, “You can count on me.”

Scott smiled and placed his hand on Jayce’s shoulder for a moment before returning to the fight. Jayce pulled all of the water from his water backpack and pooled it around the wounds on Derek’s back. He placed his hands into the water and the water began to glow, resonating with Jayce’s own spiritual energy. Jayce focused on directing the energy to close and heal Derek’s wounds as the battle with the nogitsune raged on around them.

Kira had been somehow managing to hold her own against the nogitsune, matching his sword strikes with her own. Kira’s eyes burned with a fiery orange, reflecting her own resolve and power. The same orange shined from the nogitsune’s eyes when they met, but there was a cold malevolence behind them instead of a fiery passion.

Kira made a mistake and left her right side open. The nogitsune saw it and swung down at her with his sword. Kira saw it coming, but she couldn’t react in time. The impact never came. Kira looked to her right to see Scott had suddenly appeared. He had grabbed the nogitsune’s arm, stopping his strike. With a swift and strong movement, he flipped the nogitsune over onto his back as he slammed him into the ground.

The nogitsune let go of his sword and let out a gasp as the air was knocked out of him when he collided with the ground. He rolled quickly, breaking Scott’s grip, and scrambled to his feet. He breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath. His face was contorted into a look of cold rage.

“You think you stand a chance against ME?!” shouted the nogitsune. “I’m a thousand years old! You can’t kill me!”

“We’ve done it before,” said Scott.

“And we’ll do it again,” said Stiles, finishing Scott’s sentence as he took his place next to Scott.

“ENOUGH!” shouted the nogitsune. “I am through playing games with you children!”

Black and blue magical energy arced across the nogitsune’s body and he began to levitate in the air. The air suddenly seemed to become oppressive as if the nogitsune’s mere presence was now exerting pressure on them.

“It’s time we end this,” said the nogtisune, his voice crackling with power.

Scott and Stiles stared him down, their eyes glowing both red and green. They were at their most powerful. Even when they’d been backed into a corner before, they could always come back.

“Together?” asked Scott.

“Together,” said Stiles, nodding in affirmation.

Scott and Stiles charged the nogitsune, Scott with his claws out and fangs bared and Stiles with his bat at the ready, runes dancing and shifting around it. The rest of the pack fell in behind them with Lydia and Braeden providing ranged support. Together, they engaged the enemy.

Jayce continued to heal Derek, focusing only on him. The more he focused, the faster he could heal. Scott had been right. With the added assistance from Jayce’s healing abilities, Derek’s own healing process had kicked in and the wounds were closing. Derek physically relaxed as his wounds began to close and the pain subsided.

“Just a little longer and you should be fine,” said Jayce.

“I need to go now,” protested Derek. “They’re fighting and need my help.”

“You can’t help them if you’re injured.”

“Yes, I can. I can’t just sit here and do nothing while they fight.”

“You just have to wait a little bit longer for the wounds to fully-”

“Jayce, this is good enough,” said Derek, cutting Jayce off as he stood and pulled himself away from Jayce’s water. “Let’s go. They need your help, too.”

Jayce sighed. His friends were so stubborn sometimes, recklessly endangering themselves. Then again, he would do the same for any of them. Jayce smiled and nodded at Derek.

“Yeah, let’s go,” agreed Jayce.

Derek leapt into the fray with Jayce right behind him. Derek joined the melee with Liam and Kira, trying their best to limit his movements and lead him back towards Scott and Stiles. Jayce used his water like a whip, snapping at the nogitsune as quickly as he could. He also kept the nogitsune’s tails in check with his water whip.

Scott and Stiles moved as one. Their every move was in perfect synch with the other. They boosted each other’s strength and speed while using rune and glyphs to help them redirect themselves and generate more powerful attacks. When the time was right, they started taking turns taking shots at the nogitsune. Scott would attack from one side and as soon as he broke off, Stiles would be there with his bat for another attack. They kept tagging in and out like this for a short time and it seemed to be taking a toll on the nogitsune. They were certain they were wearing him down.

Scott was coming in for another attack at what he thought was incredible speed. He was greeted with a giant blast of shadow energy that sent him flying backwards. Pain arced through his body from the attack as he rolled to a stop on the ground. Stiles was at his side immediately, already helping him up.

The rest of the pack closed ranks to cover for Scott, but it was too late. Their rhythm has been broken. The nogitsune summoned his sword back to him and unleashed an immense volley of balls of shadow energy. Each one would explode when it came into contact with something or someone. The pack did their best to dodge them, but there were too many. Lydia, Braeden, and Liam all went down, taking multiple blasts. They cried out and writhed in pain as the dark energy coursed through their bodies. Only Derek and Jayce managed to avoid the blasts by using Jayce’s water to form a constant barrier around them.

Since they were too distracted by shielding themselves from the blasts, they didn’t notice the nogitsune’s tails encroaching upon their position. The nogitsune wrapped his tails around each of their ankles and twirled them in the air before letting them go. Jayce and Derek hurdled through the air where Jayce collided with and already injured and collapsed Liam and Derek hit Braeden, collapsing in a pile with her.

Scott had managed to recover, but the nogitsune had moved so fast that neither him nor Stiles had had time to react or do anything about him. The nogitsune grinned evilly at them as he continued to hover in the air. Scott and Stiles did their best to take on a confident looking fighting stance as the nogitsune flew towards them.

Stiles raised a glyph barrier in front of them, but the nogitsune smashed straight through it. The nogitsune continued forward, planting his feet directly into Stiles’ chest for a double kick. Stiles was knocked backwards. Pain erupted in his chest and spread throughout his body as he collapsed to the ground.

Scott turned to face the nogitsune, ready to fight. Before Scott could move, the nogitsune was already in front of him. Scott felt a sharp stab of pain in his stomach. He looked down and saw the nogitsune’s sword buried in his abdomen. The nogitsune laughed.

“Well, well. Isn’t this familiar?” said the nogitsune. “Brings back memories, doesn’t it?”

As he said those words, he twisted the blade, sending a fresh wave of pain through Scott. scott let out a gasp from the shock.

“Shhhhh,” said the nogitsune. “It’ll all be over soon.”

Without warning, the nogitsune brutally yanked the blade out of Scott. Scott’s knees wobbled, but he still managed to stay standing somehow. Blood dripped from the wound in his stomach, drenching his shirt as droplets fell to the ground.

“Oh, you didn’t think we were done, did you?” asked the nogitsune. “No, far from it.”

Stiles saw what the nogitsune was about to do and climbed to his feet to try and protect Scott. The nogitsune shot him with a large orb of shadow energy. Stiles collapsed to the ground in pain as the dark energy surged through his body. He had never felt such pain. He needed to reach Scott, but he couldn’t. His body wouldn’t let him.

“Stay down,” said the nogitsune. “Now, where were we. Ah, yes.”

With a quick flourish, the nogitsune swiped his sword several times in front of him. Each slash ripped into Scott’s chest, lacerating it. Scott’s eyes grew wide from the shock of the attack and he fell backwards. His head spun and his vision clouded. He wasn’t healing and blood continued to pour from his wounds.

Stiles watched in horror as his best friend fell. He could feel Scott’s life force fading. Stiles knew Scott was struggling to hang on to life, but he was at his limit. He’d taken a lot of damage and his wounds weren’t healing like the should. Stiles cursed himself for being so useless. Even with all the power of a world druid, he was still stuck paralyzed and helpless on the floor, forced to watched as his best friend fought for his life. What good was this power if he couldn’t help and protect the most important person in the world to him?

“Well, it looks like you’re done,” said the nogitsune. “So is the rest of your pack. Not even your supposedly super powerful world druid can do anything. How pathetic. Then again, you were going against me, so it was to be expected.”

The nogitsune walked back towards the time vortex where the shadow energy continued to flow into it. The cracks were growing in number around it and were spreading to the rest of the area in general.

“I suppose I should thank you,” continued the nogitsune, relishing in his inevitable victory. “You gave me a little more entertainment. Your pain was… exquisite. A shame it must end, but I’ll let you watch as everything comes to an end. Witness your greatest failure and despair.”

Scott watched from the ground in a daze. He urged his body to move, to do something, but he couldn’t. He could barely breathe. He still felt his connection to Stiles. Their soul link was still active, but it just wasn’t enough. In the end, Scott wasn’t strong enough. He couldn’t save anyone. Everything he’d done had been for nothing. Suddenly, a voice resounded in his head, crystal clear in the haze of his mind. It was Stiles.

_Hey, Scotty. Don’t give up yet._

_Stiles, I can’t move. I can barely breathe. We’re out of time._

_Nah, it’s not over yet._

_What’re you talking about, Stiles?_

_I dunno. It’s just a feeling, Scott. We’ll think of something, okay? We always do._

_Stiles…_

_Just believe in me, okay, Scott?_

_Okay._

Stiles wasn’t sure what exactly to do. To be frank, he thought things were over as well, but he had to be strong for Scott. He couldn’t let his best friend suffer and despair like that. Now, it was time for him to think. There had to be a solution. He just hadn’t found it yet.

Stiles thought as hard as he could, trying to grasp at any idea or shred of hope. As he thought about it, something struck Stiles as odd. The nogitsune had never really hurt Stiles that much. Yeah, he had stopped Stiles and immobilized him, but his life had never been in any danger. Not like Scott or Derek or any of the others in the pack to who he showed no restraint. Why? Why would he do that? Why would he not try to kill Stiles like everyone else?

The world tree’s words come back to him. The same words he had reminded Scott of earlier.

_“If someone dies while they’re outside of their timeline, all iterations of them throughout time will be erased. It will be as if they had never existed.”_

That was it. That was why the nogitsune didn’t want Stiles to die. If he died, he would take the nogitsune with him. What’s more, he would erase all of this from ever happening.

A lump formed in Stiles’ throat as he realized what he had to do. His breath became shaky and his heart raced. Stiles was afraid, so very afraid. He didn’t want to die, but what choice did he have? They were almost out of time and there wasn’t any time to think about it. If he didn’t act now, everything and everyone he loved would cease to exist. Scott would cease to exist. So would his dad. To protect them, his life was a small price to pay.

Stiles forced himself into a sitting position. His whole body ached and it was a struggle to do so, but he still managed it. He looked over at his best friend who was lying mere inches from him. Stiles couldn’t help it. Tears started to run down his face.

Scott looked at Stiles in confusion. What was he doing? Why was he crying? Scott didn’t understand. His mind was still a haze and he knew he was dying, but he had to keep fighting. Stiles had wanted him to. He had to see this through to the end, whatever that may be.

“Hey, Scotty,” said Stiles, his voice shaky and cracking from the tears. “I’m gonna need your help one last time, okay?”

“Stiles, what’re you talking about?” asked Scott weakly, still confused.

“You know why. Just look into our minds.”

Scott didn’t understand, but he did what Stiles asked. He reached out into their joined minds. It took a lot of effort even though their soul link was active. Scott’s heart skipped a beat when he found out what Stiles was planning. Panic flooded him. He hadn’t stopped Lydia’s prediction at all. This was what she had foreseen. Not just Stiles’ death, but his annihilation from all of time. And Scott was powerless to stop it.

“Stiles, no. You can’t,” protested Scott.

“There’s no other way, Scott,” said Stiles sadly. “I have to. But I’m not strong enough on my own. I know it’s incredibly selfish, just like I’ve always been with you, but I need your help.”

“Stiles…”

“I’m sorry, Scott!” cried Stiles, his tears no longer restrained.

“I’m scared… I’m so scared…” said Stiles quietly between ragged breaths.

“Please… Stiles…” said Scott, struggling to move, to try and stop Stiles.

Stiles placed his hand over Scott’s and gave him a weak smile. His other hand was placed over his heart, the black runes and glyphs already forming into a magic circle. Scott felt his own power and strength begin to flow into Stiles through their soul link. Whether he wanted to or not, Scott was helping cast the spell that would end his best friend's life. No, his very existence.

The nogitsune turned around, sensing Stiles’ magic and a panicked look appeared on his face.

“No, you fool!” shouted the nogitsune as he rushed toward Stiles in an attempt to stop him. “You’ll ruin everything!”

“This isn’t your fault, Scott. There was no other way,” said Stiles. “Goodbye, Scott.”

Stiles squeezed Scott’s hand one last time. Scott felt a surge of power arc between them as Stiles drew the last bit of power he needed to cast the spell. The newly formed magic circle lit up as the spell finally activated, black light spilling from the runes and glyphs that comprised it. Stiles let out a gasp, his last breath, as the life draining spell forced all the life from his body.

Time seemed to stop. Everything froze in place. Scott’s head suddenly cleared. Stiles suddenly shattered into a thousand pieces and faded away right in front of Scott’s eyes. The same thing happened to the nogitsune.

Scott had never felt a pain like this before. It felt as if his very soul was being ripped in two. He felt Stiles’ life force being pulled from his body. He felt Stiles’ existence being wiped from the face of time.

“STILES!” Scott screamed.

Scott felt himself being pulled backwards. Time rushed around him. All around him Scott saw different incarnations of Stiles throughout time and different memories of Stiles. He watched as he each one burst into pieces and faded from existence. Scott screamed and as the pain ripped through his mind, body, and soul. It truly felt as if half his soul had just been ripped from him.

And then everything stopped. Scott was lying on his bed. He realized that the soul link was no longer active. He couldn’t feel his link to Stiles or the world tree either. He reached out with his mind, but there was nothing there. Just endless silence. Scott’s worst fears had come true.

Stiles was gone. And Scott had never felt more alone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just remember, there's always a plan, but as River Song would say, "Spoilers!" ;)


	23. Scott Undone

Scott sat up on his bed. He looked around his room, looking at the various pictures that he had set up throughout his room. Several of them were of him and Stiles or had Stiles in them. When he looked at those pictures, Stiles was absent from them. In the pictures of just the two of them, the picture was now just of him. The same was true for the group pictures with Stiles; they were the same, but he was missing.

Scott’s head spun. It was true. Stiles was gone, erased from time. He collapsed onto his bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. His mind was blank, unable to fully process what just happened. Scott felt numb. He just lied there for what felt like an eternity.

Scott was snapped back to reality by his phone ringing. He was confused by the sound for a minute, but he quickly shoved his hand into his pocket and retrieved his phone. It was Derek.

“Hello?” answered Scott.

“Scott, where have you been?” asked Derek. “We were all scattered after we fixed things at the end of time. We’re all going to meet up at my loft.”

“Oh, okay. I’m sorry I was out of touch.”

“It’s fine, Scott. Just get over here as soon as you can. We should debrief everyone, especially Allison and Isaac.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll be over soon.”

“Great. See you soon.”

Derek hung up. Scott sat back up on his bed. Everyone seemed to have made it back safely, even Allison. Everyone except Stiles.

An idea struck Scott. He remembered Stiles. What if the rest of the pack could remember him, too? Maybe, just maybe, they would be able to work together to find a way to bring Stiles back. Scott let that small glimmer of hope fill him and a smile came to his face.

“Don’t worry, Stiles. I’ll find a way to bring you back,” said Scott to no one in particular.

Without any further delay, he ran down the stairs, hopped on his motorbike, and headed for Derek’s loft.

The whole pack was already there when Scott arrived. They all smiled at him when he arrived.

“It looks like you did it,” said Allison.

A huge smile spread across Scott’s face when he saw that Allison was okay.

“You’re alive!” said Scott. “I was worried!”

“I told you I’d be fine if I bailed out and you fixed things,” said Allison, returning Scott’s smile.

“So, we should tell them what happened at the end of time,” said Lydia. “After all, they kind of missed it.”

“Yeah, I just wanted to wait for Scott to get here,” said Derek.

“Thanks, Derek,” said Scott.

Derek nodded and continued, “After you left, we followed the portal to what was called the end of time. We found the source of the problem there.”

“What was it?” asked Allison.

“A dark magic of some kind,” said Jayce. “We weren’t able to identify it, but we were able to stop it.”

“Right. And once the flow of the dark magic stopped, time fixed itself and we all snapped back here,” added Lydia.

“That’s incredible,” said Allison. “You all did a great job.”

Scott was confused. That definitely wasn’t what happened. They had fought with the nogitsune and Stiles had sacrificed himself to save them all and beat the nogitsune. That couldn’t be right. That couldn’t be what they remembered.

Derek noticed the confused look on Scott’s face.

“Is something wrong, Scott?” asked Derek. “You look confused.”

“That’s not what I remember happening,” said Scott hesitantly.

“He’s probably a little confused from being pulled back to our timeline,” said Jayce. “We were all a bit disoriented when we were dropped back here.”

“Yeah, my head was spinning for a while,” agreed Kira.

“Same here,” said Malia. “I didn’t like it.”

“No, that’s not it,” said Scott. “That’s just not what happened. Don’t you remember the fight?”

“What fight?” asked Derek.

“The one with the nogitsune,” replied Scott. “He was the one causing the problems with the timeline.”

“What’s a nogitsune exactly?” asked Isaac.

Scott stared in shock. They didn’t even remember what a nogitsune was?

“We fought one a few months back, remember?” said Scott.

“I don’t remember anything like that,” said Kira. “But a nogitsune is an evil fox spirit. I’m a thunder kitsune, but it’s a void kitsune.”

“That sounds pretty bad,” said Allison. “I’m glad we never ran into one of those.”

“Yeah, they’re very rare from what my mom told me,” said Kira.

Scott was in shock. He didn’t understand how they couldn’t remember such a huge event in their lives. It was unthinkable.

“No, we met one. It possessed Stiles and wreaked havoc all over Beacon Hills,” insisted Scott. “Don’t you remember?”

“No, I don’t,” answered Derek. “I don’t think any of us do. And what was this about a Stiles?”

“Stiles. Tall, lanky, brown hair, sarcastic asshole, my best friend. Remember?” said Scott, aware that his voice was rising due to him being on the verge of panic.

“What the hell’s a Stiles?” asked Lydia.

Scott took a step back, the surprise evident on his face. Not even Lydia remembered Stiles. Scott’s glimmer of hope began to crumble. Why could he remember Stiles but no one else could? He felt his heart race and his breath quicken. Derek, Isaac, Liam, and Malia all looked up at him as they heard his heartbeat rise.

“Scott, maybe you should get some rest,” suggested Derek. “This whole thing took a lot out of all of us, especially you.”

“Derek’s right, Scott,” said Allison. “Go home and get some rest.”

“Y-yeah,” stammered Scott. “I’ll do that.”

Without another word, Scott turned and ran down the stairs back to his motorbike. Scott felt like he was about to have a panic attack. His mind drifted back to that day in the locker room right after he’d been bitten. He started to lose control and have a panic attack. Stiles had been there to comfort and help him. Stiles had helped him calm down. But Stiles wasn’t here now. He was gone.

Scott struggled to steady his breath as he climbed on his motorbike and sped away. Scott thought he was driving aimlessly, but he found himself in front of Stiles’ house. The place looked a lot more rundown than he remembered and there was an absence of Stiles’ familiar blue Jeep. Scott parked his motorbike and made his way to the front door.

Scott knocked on the door, his heart pounding. He heard a shout from somewhere in the house sounding him to come in. It sounded like the sheriff, but it sounded slurred and much more gruff than usual. Still, Scott opened the door and stepped inside.

Scott made his way to the kitchen. He saw the sheriff sitting there drinking Jack Daniels straight from the bottle. The table, floor, and counters were littered with countless beer cans and liquor bottles. The sheriff was sitting in his boxers and a dirty tank top. Scott had never seen the sheriff like this before.

“Sheriff Stilinski?” asked Scott.

“Former sheriff,” corrected the sheriff. “You’re that McCall boy, right? What do you want?”

“Yeah- I mean yes, sir,” replied Scott. “I’m Scott. I’d wanted to ask you about Stiles.”

“Stiles?” asked the sheriff. “Who the hell is Stiles?”

“Stiles. He’s your son,” said Scott earnestly.

The sheriff’s expression changed to one of anger. He glared at Scott.

“Scott, I have never had a son,” said the sheriff his voice rising in anger as he spoke. “And now that my wife is dead, I’ll never have a son! Thanks for reminding me of that!”

Scott was taken aback again. He’d thought that maybe Stiles’ dad would remember Stiles, but no. Not even he remembered Stiles.

“If that’s all you wanted, you can get out,” said the sheriff, casting his eyes down.

“But-” started Scott.

“I said GET OUT!” shouted the sheriff in a drunken rage.

The sheriff threw his freshly emptied bottle of Jack Daniels at Scott who barely dodged it in time. The bottle smashed into the wall, shattering instantly. Scott made a hasty retreat back to his motorbike. As he ran out the door, he heard the sheriff call out one more time.

“And don’t come back!” shouted the sheriff.

Scott heard the sheriff break down into tears as he cranked his motorbike. Scott’s hope was all but gone now. No one remembered Stiles. It seemed hopeless. Scott wasn’t sure who else he could turn to for help. Then an idea came to him. He hurried to Deaton’s clinic.

Scott burst through the doors as quickly as he could when he arrived. He rushed to the back of the clinic to find Deaton. Deaton greeted Scott with a smile, but he did seem surprised to see him.

“Scott, I thought you’d be with the rest of your pack,” said Deaton. “You should be celebrating with them. You just had a huge victory.”

“Deaton, I need to know something,” said Scott, still breathing heavily.

Deaton’s face changed to one of concern. He knew it was rare for Scott to be like this.

“What’s wrong, Scott?” asked Deaton.

“Is there a way to bring someone back if they were wiped from time?”

“What do you mean?”

“Say someone killed himself outside of his timeline. Say he did it to save everyone, even though he knew he would be erased from time. Is there a way to bring someone who did that back?”

Deaton frowned and replied, “Scott, if someone erased themselves from time, there’s nothing that can be done. No magic in the world could bring that back. It’s like when you wipe a hard drive. Once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.”

Scott crumbled inside. The last light of hope that he’d clung to was extinguished. That was it. Stiles was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. Scott turned and started to leave, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He felt numb again.

“I’m sorry, Scott. I wish there was something I could do,” offered Deaton.

“Thanks,” mumbled Scott as he made his way out of the clinic and back to his motorbike.

Scott headed straight home after that. He went straight to his room, ignoring whatever it was that his mom had said to him. Once he was in his room, he locked the door and fell onto his bed, face down. Scott shoved his face into the pillow.

Now that he was finally alone with just his own thoughts, everything hit him at once. All the thoughts and emotions about the realization that his best friend was gone for good. They hit Scott like a ton of bricks to the stomach. He didn’t hold back anymore and the tears finally came. Scott cried into his pillow.

Apparently, his mom had told the others what was going on with Scott. They all came to visit him, each individually, but Scott refused to open his door. All he did was shout at them to go away. He knew they meant well, but they didn’t understand. How could they? They didn’t remember Stiles. They didn’t know what Scott had lost. Eventually, they stopped trying.

Scott cried for hours. It wasn’t just sadness. He felt an emptiness, like a part of him was missing. They had been soul linked when it happened, so maybe that made it worse. Regardless of the reason, it was still terrible. Scott felt like he would never be truly whole again. He even felt weaker physically from it.

There was another knock at the door. Scott thought they had given up.

“Go away!” shouted Scott.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Scott,” came a familiar voice.

The scent made its way to Scott’s nose the same time the voice did. Armani.

“Danny?” asked Scott in confusion. “Why are you here?”

“Why don’t you let me in and I’ll tell you?” replied Danny.

“I don’t feel like seeing anyone.”

“So I gathered. But I think you’ll want to hear what I have to say.”

Something inside Scott told him to trust Danny. Reluctantly, Scott lifted himself from his bed and opened his door. Sure enough, Danny was standing there in front of him. He quickly stepped inside Scott’s room and closed the door behind him.

“You’re a wreck,” sighed Danny, a tinge of sadness and pity in his voice.

“Thanks,” replied Scott half-heartedly. “I’ve kind of been through a lot.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.”

“What can you do?”

“So you’ve given up?”

“Huh?”

“On bringing Stiles back.”

Scott heart nearly leapt out of his chest. Danny had just said Stiles’ name. And he mentioned bringing him back. Danny grinned at the shocked look on Scott’s face.

“How do you-?” started Scott.

“How do I know about Stiles?” finished Danny. “I told you before, didn’t I? Mahealani’s are immune to changes in time. It’d be kind of hard to do our job if we weren’t.”

“But there’s no way to save him,” said Scott, his face and voice falling fast. “He’s been wiped from all the timelines.”

“That’s true, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be saved,” said Danny.

“There’s a way?!” exclaimed Scott louder than he intended.

“Yeah,” confirmed Danny. “And that’s why I’m here.”

 


	24. Homecoming

Scott still couldn’t believe it. He’d given up all hope, but here was someone saying it was possible. As excited as Scott was by this news, he was still cautious. He didn’t want to get his hopes up again just to have them crushed one more time. Even so, he couldn’t pass up the possibility to bring back Stiles, no matter how remote it might be.

“How?” asked Scott. “How do we bring him back?”

“Do you still have that necklace I gave you?” asked Danny. “The one I gave you before you stepped through the first portal?”

Scott reached into his shirt and pulled out the necklace. The crystal in the center of it still pulsed and hummed as if it was alive as its multiple colors shifted and flowed across the surface.

“Yeah, I’ve had it on ever since you gave it to me,” replied Scott. “Why? It just recorded our adventure so you could write it down later, right?”

“That’s the intended purpose,” said Danny. “But that doesn’t mean it’s that necklace’s only purpose.”

“What else could it do?”

“That necklace was created using ancient and powerful magic. It’s an heirloom from the first of the Mahealani’s. You just need to think outside the box, Scott.”

Scott held the necklace in his hand. It felt warm in his palm. Scott thought about it. It was imbued with ancient and powerful magic. It recorded the data of the journey Scott had gone on. How could any of that help him bring back Stiles.

Then everything clicked in Scott’s head. The necklace stored data. But who said that data could only be used for viewing and transcribing? Danny said to think outside of the box and Scott definitely was.

Danny smiled, seeing the gears turning and clicking in Scott’s mind.

“I think you’ve got it,” said Danny.

“Yeah!” said Scott. “Well, sort of. I still don’t quite get how it’ll work.”

“Instead of using the data in the necklace to view what happened, you can use it as a template to restore what’s been lost,” explained Danny.

“It can’t be that simple,” said Scott.

Danny frowned and nodded at Scott.

“You’re right. It’s not that simple,” continued Danny. “The necklace has the data and the magic in it, but that’s not enough. First, someone has to be able to use the magic in the necklace. Someone with a close bond to the target. The data needs a pathway to follow. That someone also needs to be able to destroy the necklace.”

“Destroy it?” asked Scott in surprise. “I can’t destroy your family’s heirloom!”

“It’s the only way, Scott,” said Danny. “Besides, I’m giving you permission to. Stiles is my friend, too, you know. He’s also very important to you and this world. We need him back. The true alpha needs his world druid just as the world druid needs his true alpha.”

“Okay. As long as you’re sure your family won’t be mad.”

“Scott, I can handle my family. This is about saving Stiles. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Scott nodded. Suddenly a terrible thought occurred to him.

“Danny, if I do this, won’t it restore the nogitsune that started this whole thing?” asked Scott, his heart sinking. How could he bring back Stiles if it meant dooming everything all over again?

Danny shook his head and replied, “No. This isn’t some simple spell, Scott. It’s some of the most complex and most powerful magic. It’ll filter out the incarnations that would cause problems with the timelines.”

Scott breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Okay, so what else do we need?”

“The last thing is also probably the hardest,” admitted Danny. “You need someone to open a time portal for you.”

“The only people I know who could open one were Stiles and the world tree.”

“Hence why I said it would be the hardest thing. With Stiles gone, that leaves you with only one option.”

“The world tree.”

“Yeah.”

Scott fell silent for a moment. He no longer had the connection to the world tree. With Stiles gone, so was his connection. Without Stiles, he didn’t have access to the power and knowledge of a world druid. He was just a werewolf. Scott sighed deeply.

“Scott, chin up, man,” said Danny. “You act like this is a lost cause.”

“But I don’t know how to reach the world tree,” said Scott. “Stiles was the bridge between me and the world tree. Since he’s been gone, I haven’t felt that connection. It’s gone.”

“Maybe that way if gone, but just because one path is closed to you doesn’t mean that there aren’t other paths that will lead you to the same spot.”

“You’re saying I can still connect with the world tree on my own?”

“I believe you can find a way, Scott. You’re a true alpha and I know you’re determined to do whatever it takes to save Stiles,” said Danny confidently. “Believe in yourself, Scott. I’ve seen firsthand what you can do. You’ll find a way.”

Scott smiled and said, “Thanks, Danny.”

Scott paused for a moment, thinking about something that had been bothering him.

“I understand why you can remember Stiles since you’re immune to changes in time, but why can I remember him?” asked Scott.

Danny chuckled and replied, “The bond between you two is something special. It can’t be so easily wiped away. Remember, you two are soul linked. Your souls are bound together. Didn’t you feel that?”

Scott nodded. He had felt that when Stiles died. A pain like his own soul was being ripped in half. It made sense.

“Yeah, I did. I get it now,” said Scott. “Our bond and the soul link preserved my memories of him.

“Exactly,” said Danny with a nod. “You should get going though. You should call your pack to go with you.”

“But none of them remember Stiles. They all probably think I’m crazy.”

“But you’re still their alpha and they still trust you. If you call for them, they will come. Besides, if you succeed, then their memories of Stiles will return to them.”

“Alright, I’ll call them. Are you coming, too, Danny?”

Danny smiled slyly and said, “I’ll be there, but you won’t see me. I’ll do what I’ve always done. Observe and record. Now, go make history once again. Defy fate and time and bring him back.”

“Yeah, I’ll do it. I’m going to save Stiles,” said Scott, his confidence finally returning.

“I look forward to witnessing and recording the history you create, Scott McCall. It’s sure to be interesting,” said Danny as he got up to leave. “I wish you good luck.”

And with that, Danny was gone. Scott was left standing alone in his room, holding the silver necklace in his palm. He clenched his fist around the necklace, feeling its warmth and power. Scott knew he could do this.

Scott pulled out his phone and texted everyone in the pack. He told them to meet him at the nemeton clearing at the preserve. With that taken care of, Scott placed the necklace around his neck once more and headed for the preserve.

Scott arrived to the nemeton’s clearing before everyone else, probably because he ignored every speed limit sign on the way there. He walked past the surrounding trees and into the clearing. The nemeton towered in front of him, it’s branches spanning the air space above the clearing. Scott was surprised by this. If Stiles had never existed, then why was the nemeton not just a stump?

Scott walked to the nemeton and placed his hands on its trunk. His connection was gone, but he could tell that it was very much alive. The only thing Scott could think was that, like the Mahealani family, the nemeton and the world tree were immune to changes in time.

Scott felt a rush of anger boiling up inside of him. The very thing that had sent them on this journey got to keep living even though Stiles was erased from time, so it should have never been restored. It wasn’t fair. But Scott tried to let it go. Without the world trees help, he wouldn’t be able to bring Stiles back. Now the question was how did he contact the world tree since his connection was gone.

“Umm,” said Scott, not really certain if this would work or not. “Hey! World tree, I need to talk to you! I need your help with something.”

Scott waited a moment. Nothing happened. There was only silence. Not even so much as a sign.

“I said I need to talk to you!” shouted Scott, his anger returning again. “I know you can hear me! Help me!”

“Scott?” came a woman’s voice from behind him.

Scott turned to see Kira. She and the rest of the pack had finally arrived together. They were all staring at Scott. Several of them had concerned looks on their faces. Scott couldn’t really blame them. After all, his behavior probably seemed insane to anyone who didn’t know what was going on.

“What’re you doing?” asked Derek.

“I’m trying to talk to the world tree,” answered Scott.

“That’s the nemeton, Scott,” said Allison. “Jennifer restored it when she finished all the sacrifices, remember?”

Scott was confused by that last part for a second, but he figured history had to give some explanation as to why the nemeton had regrown itself.

“I know what it is,” sighed Scott. “But it’s a physical representation of the world tree. It’s connected to it. I just need to find a way to talk to it.”

“Scott…” said Allison sadly.

“Okay, let’s say you can communicate with this world tree or whatever it is,” said Lydia. “Why do you need to?”

“Because I need its help to save Stiles!” shouted Scott in frustration.

“Scott, there’s never been a Stiles,” said Derek. “No one here knows anyone by that name.”

“Neither does anyone else in town,” added Malia.

“He’s Mr. Stilinski’s son,” said Scott.

“Scott, that’s not funny,” said Lydia with a frown. “He never had a son and with his wife dead… Well… you know. That’s just not right.”

“We thought it might just have been a side effect of you being pulled back, but this is a bit much,” said Jayce.

“Scott, just come with us, okay?” said Kira softly. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get you help.”

“The only help I need if from this tree!” shouted Scott, banging his fist against the bark of the nemeton. “Listen to me! I need your help.”

Derek sighed and motioned to Isaac. They carefully made their way towards Scott, hoping to grab and restrain him. It didn’t make them happy, but they had to do it, for Scott’s sake. He was going insane and he needed help. They would do it and he’d thank them later.

Derek and Isaac grabbed Scott’s arms, one of them on either side of Scott. Scott immediately roared and wolfed out. With seemingly no effort, Scott hurled Isaac into a nearby tree with one arm and then did the same for Derek. He turned to face the pack, breathing heavily as he let out an alpha roar. Isaac and Derek who had both recovered visibly shrank back from that as did Liam and Malia. Liam looked terrified. He’d never seen Scott like this before.

Derek was completely surprised as well. Scott had never used his power to influence his betas. It was unlike him. Derek wondered if maybe, just maybe, Scott wasn’t completely insane. But he dismissed the idea quickly. There was no way they would all have forgotten someone like that.

“You’ll see,” said Scott, panting. “You’ll remember.”

The pack stood there in stunned silence as Scott turned to face the nemeton once again, still fully wolfed out. He had to do this. He would make the world tree talk to him if he had to. He shouted a few more times at the nemeton to no avail.

“I NEED YOUR HELP, NOW COME OUT HERE AND TALK TO ME!” shouted Scott as loud as he could, his voice laced with anger, frustration, and sadness.

As he said that, Scott slammed his fist into the trunk of the nemeton. The bark cracked and caved in slightly from the punch. Scott’s knuckles cracked and bled from the impact of the punch. At the same time, glowing lines began to run down Scott’s arm, starting at his knuckles. They quickly covered the entirety of his body forming the familiar runic tattoos that normally appeared during his soul link with Stiles. The only difference was that they never touched the tattoo on his left arm and that tattoo never began to glow. Scott’s left eye also shifted from its usual crimson to a deep forest green.

Scott looked down at himself, recognizing the tattoos. He also remembered this power. It almost felt like when he was soul linked Stiles. But he still couldn’t feel Stiles or a connection to him. It was just the power of a druid added to his own. Something moved in the corner of Scott’s eye and he looked up to see what it was.

When Scott looked up, he saw a man walking out from behind the nemeton. The man appeared young, but Scott got the impression that he was far older than he appeared. His robes were made of vines, moss, and various flowers woven into a beautiful garb. His brown hair cascaded all the way down his back, nearly reaching the ground, contrasting his porcelain skin which almost appeared to be glowing. He bore a long staff of twisted bark in his right hand, a prismatic crystal wrapped within the staff at its tip.

The pack watched in stunned silence as everything unfolded in front of them. They had never seen anything like this and they had no idea what was going on.

Scott was stunned by the sudden appearance of the man, but he simply smiled at Scott.

“It has been quite sometime since anyone has called me into the corporeal world,” said the man.

When he spoke, his voice resounded with ancient runic power. Scott knew who it was immediately. This was the world tree.

“You bear the marks of one who is soul linked, yet your partner no longer exists,” observed the world tree, looking Scott over. “How is it that you could call forth the power of a world druid who never existed in such a way, little one?”

“I remember him,” said Scott, regaining his composure. “His memory lives on inside of me and inside of this.”

Scott removed the silver crystal necklace from around his neck and showed it to the world tree who examined it closely. After a moment a smile crossed the world tree’s face.

“I see. So the Mahealani family has chosen to take on a more active role in history,” said the world tree.

“I think it’s more of making sure things are as they should be,” countered Scott.

“Hmm. Perhaps,” mused the world tree. “But that’s a dangerous thing to say. Nevertheless, the young Mahealani has decided this is the path he wants to follow. My question to you is can you wield such power? You may be a true alpha, but you are not a druid.”

“I can do it. No. I will do it,” said Scott with absolute confidence. “I will save Stiles.”

The world tree nodded, content with Scott’s answer.

“Then what is it you require of me?” asked the world tree. “After all, you went through the trouble of forcing me into the corporeal realm.”

“I need you to open a time portal,” replied Scott. “I need a portal that can reach all of the timelines.”

The world tree’s smile faded instantly.

“Do you realize what you’re asking? Messing with the timelines is dangerous and opening such a portal is even more so,” said the world tree. “Why would I do that?”

“Because Stiles is worth it,” Scott replied simply. “He sacrificed himself knowing full well what would happen. He erased himself from history so that all of us, including you, could be safe. Now you won’t open up a simple portal to save him? How dare you not be willing to do at least that much after all he’s done.”

The world tree looked taken aback by Scott’s words. Scott stared the world tree down with a confident glare, his eyes burning with determination as their green and red glow intensified. The world tree could feel Scott’s resolve. He knew those two shared a strong bond and how strong they each were, but he never expected this. He smiled in spite of himself.

“The two of you are truly something else,” said the world tree. “Very well, little one. If you’re sure, I will open the portal you desire, but you must act quickly. I cannot leave it open for long.”

“I won’t need long,” said Scott. “I know what I have to do.”

The world tree nodded. The crystal at the tip of his staff began to glow. He raised the staff and slammed it into the ground. With a flash of light, a bright blue portal appeared in front of Scott.

“You have one minute,” said the world tree. “Good luck, little one.”

With that, the world tree faded away, returning to its own plane of existence.

Scott gripped the necklace between his claws. He focused on Stiles, on bringing him back. Scott felt the magical energies swirling within the necklace, responding to his wishes. Scott knew he could do this. He was ready. Without further hesitation, Scott crushed the necklace with his claws.

The crystal shattered and magical energy crackled through the air. The necklace became a sparkling powder. Scott blew it into the portal. The powder flew into the portal, dispersing throughout the timelines. As the last of the powder crossed through the portal, the portal closed.

After a few moments where nothing happened, a shockwave of blue energy erupted from the nemeton. The energy wave passed through everyone and everything. Scott could feel the timeline changing around him. He saw the looks of realization on everyone’s faces as their memories returned to them.

A shaft of white light appeared in front of Scott, standing out against the waning sunlight. Inside the light, something began to materialize in the middle of the air. Scott knew who it was. It was Stiles. It didn’t take long for his body to become fully materialized.

Stiles hung in mid air, his eyes still closed, as the runic tattoos began to trace their way along his body. When they were done, the lines all merged together, reforming the mirror image of Scott’s own tattoo. At the same time, Scott’s runic tattoos connected with the tattoo on his left arm and it began to glow as well. Stiles’ eyes snapped open, his left eye glowing a deep crimson red and his right glowing its usual forest green. His return complete, Stiles began to lower until his feet gently touched the ground. The shaft of light faded away, making Scott and Stiles’ glowing eyes and tattoos stand out against the ever increasing darkness as night began to fall.

Scott smiled. The pain that he had been carrying with him ever since Stiles had died was gone. His soul felt whole once more. He felt whole again. Scott could feel his connection to Stiles once again, their minds and souls intertwined as they flowed freely into one another.  It was like he'd never left. Scott had done it. Stiles was back and Scott couldn't be happier.

Stiles looked at Scott for a few moments as if trying to process what was going on. He seemed confused and Scott could understand that. As far as Stiles new, he should be dead.

“S-Scott?” asked Stiles, finally finding his voice. “Where am I? How-?”

Stiles was cut off by Scott slamming into Stiles, gripping him in the tightest hug either of them had ever experienced. Tears streamed down Scott’s face.

“Don’t you ever do something else like that again, you idiot,” said Scott. “I thought I lost you.”

“Scott…” said Stiles, relaxing into Scott as he returned the hug just as tightly. “I’m sorry. But how am  I here?”

Scott pulled away from Stiles, wiping away his tears, so he could explain to Stiles what happened as the rest of the pack joined them. Scott told Stiles what happened to him after Stiles killed himself and what he had gone through to bring Stiles back.

“Wow,” Stiles managed to say after Scott was done. “I guess we really owe Danny one.”

Scott laughed and said, “Definitely! I feel bad about destroying his family’s heirloom though.”

“Hey, he said it was fine, so that’s all that matters,” said Stiles.

“Yeah, I guess so,” agreed Scott.

Derek came up to Scott, looking guilty. Scott gave him a confused look.

“Scott, I’m sorry,” said Derek.

“For what?” asked Scott.

“For not believing you,” answered Derek.

“Yeah, me, too,” said Isaac, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

Each member of the pack took turns apologizing to Scott for doubting him and thinking he was crazy. When they were done Scott smiled warmly at them.

“Guys, it’s fine. Your memories were wiped. I’m sure I did sound crazy to you,” said Scott. “If anything, I should apologize to you guys. I used my alpha roar to make you stop interfering. I never wanted to do that.”

“We can’t blame you,” said Derek. “We did try to stop you.”

“Still,” said Scott.

“Look, this is getting way too sappy for me,” said Stiles, rolling his eyes. “You’re all sorry and you’re all forgiven. Just leave it at that. We’re still friends. We’re still pack. That’s all that matters.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” agreed Scott.

“Now, what do you say we get out of here and get some food,” said Stiles. “Because I am starving.”

“I’ll hook us up at our favorite pizza place,” said Jayce.

Everyone cheered at that. They had definitely earned a victory celebration. Scott and Stiles threw their arms over each others shoulders as the pack made their way out of the preserve, their runic tattoos and glowing eyes fading as they released their soul link.

“Looks like we made it through another major ordeal, eh, Scotty?” asked Stiles.

“Yeah and it was a hell of a close one,” agreed Stiles.

“Maybe now we can actually enjoy our summer.”

“We can hope. Although, I did have fun hopping through timelines with everyone.”

“Yeah I guess that was cool. Could’ve done without that last one though.”

Scott laughed and said, “Agreed.”

“Well, here’s to hoping for a peaceful rest of the summer,” said Stiles.

“Guess we’ll find out soon enough,” said Scott.

With that, Scott, Stiles, and the rest of the pack left the preserve.

* * *

Danny sat at his desk in the library putting the finishing touches on the latest tome in Beacon Hills’ history. He picked up the silver necklace with a crystal of swirling colors in its center and placed it back into a drawer in the desk. He’d gotten all the information he needed from it.

“Are you sure it was a good idea to let them destroy that necklace?” said a voice behind Danny.

Danny turned as he stood up from his desk to see his mother. He smiled at her.

“I’m sure,” said Danny. “It was connected to its twin necklace here, so I still got all of the data to write the history down. Besides, I think it was necessary.”

“And why’s that?” asked Danny’s mother.

“Stiles is important to this timeline. Moreover, he is incredibly important to Scott McCall. He is worth preserving. No. The two of them are worth preserving. They need each other. So, yeah, it was necessary,” explained Danny. “Besides, as the Watcher, I get to decide what’s necessary or not. You taught me that.”

“So I did,” laughed Danny’s mother. “Well, as long as you’re sure it was the right decision, then that’s all that matters. You’re the future Watcher of Beacon Hills and we trust you. So, what will you call this volume?”

“I decided on ‘A Crack In The Hourglass’,” replied Danny.

“Such creative titles,” observed his mom. “But I like it! It makes them stand out against all these dusty, old tomes. Good night, Danny.”

“Good night, mom,” responded Danny.

As his mother left the library, Danny walked to a nearby shelf. It was a shelf that he was slowly filling with his own tomes. He smiled as he slide his most recent addition into its new home on the bookshelf. His job complete, Danny left the library and turned out the lights until the next time Scott McCall and his pack made history. Danny could hardly wait to see what was going to happen next with them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've made it here, to the end of this story, you have my deepest and most sincere thanks. I hope you enjoyed this story. It is the longest work I have ever written and it is definitely my greatest undertaking in terms of writing.
> 
> If you're one of the readers who've been with me since the beginning, when this started with chapter 1, or a reader who came along while this was still a WIP and you stuck with me until the end, you have a special thanks. Thank you for sticking with me for these 4 months and watching the story grow and progress. You have a special place in my heart, especially those of you who left comments on the chapters as you went. They meant the world to me!
> 
> I am proud of how it all turned out and I hope you are happy with the way things ended. I know I sent you down a dark and sad path for a while there, but, as I said, there was always a plan. When I started this fic 4 months ago (exactly 4 months from today actually), I already had the entire thing in my head from start to finish. Sure, some things changed as I went along, but this ending is exactly how I had originally envisioned it.
> 
> So, one last time, thank you for reading.


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